


The Shadow Keeper

by Cross_Foxx



Series: Land of Shadows trilogy [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Biotechnology, Budding Relationship, CEOs, Character Death, Corporate Politics, Corporate greed, Death, Disaster, F/M, Isekai, Kagemune, Land of Shadows, Science Fiction, Self-Sacrifice, Towa - Freeform, Virtual Reality, book 1 of 3, death game, first draft, heart condition, not-too-distant future, video games - Freeform, vr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-18 12:44:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 43
Words: 37,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19334776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cross_Foxx/pseuds/Cross_Foxx
Summary: When the latest technology in gaming is launched, that of which had only been heard of in science fiction novels before, gamers from all over are jumping at the chance to play.  Maybe those novels telling of players being trapped that had become somewhat cliche were something of a warning as most science fiction is meant to be.Land of Shadows was the first virtual reality massive multiplayer role playing game released to the public, and Towa VRGames, its creator, was thrilled to have so many people lined up to play the game.  After allowing 10,000 beta testers to test the game, it was ready for action and released, but soon after... everything went wrong.Tarou Kagemune, game devoloper and friend of Towa's CEO, took the dive with the oldest of her two younger brothers, followed by much of her family, on that fateful day.Taro has lived as a shadow for most of her life because she was taught that friends were of little worth a shadow was the most loyal friend, but what is a shadow without a light?  Can she find a light to shadow or will the shadow fall to ruin and meld into the darkness in a land where shadows are the only tangible objects?~~~~~Book 1 of 3 in the Land of Shadows trilogy





	1. Nowaki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the divider for the first part of the novel - Nowaki. There are four parts in total.

_**Japanese noun** _

late autumn (fall) windstorm in the countryside, typhoon, especially one that blows from the 210th to the 220th day of the year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to give kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	2. Nowaki

**Leo Corrigan**  < [ lcorriganprstaff@towavrgames.com ](mailto:lcorriganprstaff@towaprgames.com) >

September 3, 2058

Most valued customers,

We at  _ Towa VR Games  _ would like to announce that on October 4th the company will be transitioned over to the ownership of former game developer Amanda Morano.  There will be no change to any of our current services or the functionality of any of our current games.

With the upcoming transition you may look forward to limited time promotions on games, software, and hardware developed by Morano and the release of a few games hand selected by her as one of our most valued game developers.  We are extremely excited to announce this transition and all of the offers to come.

With this announcement, Morano herself would like to announce the first full-dive game produced for new Towa’s NervePort ™ VR rig ( NervePort ™ release date: October 15 — subject to change):  **_Land of Shadows_ ** .  This new game, the final project personally developed by Morano, features fully functional in-game independent movement as well as  _ RealTouch™ _ technology that will enable you to enjoy the feelings, scents, and tastes of all in-game items.

You can look forward to the release of future details and the exclusive demo of this new VRMMORPG by subscribing to the  _ Towa VR Games  _ bi-weekly newsletter; not only will you get updates on  **_Land of Shadows_ ** , but you may also receive news from creators and exclusive interviews with voice actors, beta testers, etc.

We look forward to the future of VR with you,

_ Leo Corrigan _

Leo Corrigan

_ Towa VR Games PR Staff _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to give kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	3. Translation of Tarou's Journal Entry #5418

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An exerpt of Tarou Kagemune's personal journal, translated by her brother Masa Kagemune.

**Journal Entry #5,418**

**September 3, 2035**

The world comes crashing down

On top of us When we least expect it.

Unsuspecting civilians of the world

Lay under the rubble,

Unaware that what they weren’t aware of

Landed them there.

Sometimes though, we get a break

When we can escape

The aftermath

Only to find ourselves spiraling

Under the crushing weight of

What we least expected

To come down and crush us.

\- Katsura Tarou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tarou uses the surname "Katsura" - her mother's maiden name - because of a strained relationship with her father (which will be explained). Please feel free to give kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	4. Outbox (1 recent) - Tarou Kagemune

Tarou Kagemune <taroukagemune@kagemuneconglomerate.org>

September 5, 2058

Amanda, I am glad to hear that you are doing well and moving up in the world. It’s been a while since we have had any form of correspondence; if I remember correctly, the last thing we conversed about was the NervePort™ and we both know that that was not a pleasant conversation for either of us.

I am going to put this out in the open right from the start: while I am happy for you — regarding this promotion as a friend — and I respect you as a fellow game developer, I can’t allow you to ride some sort of high while trying to push through programs and products that could endanger large numbers of people.

Now, I apologize for being uncivil with you during our conversation about the concept and logistics of the NervePort™, but I would like to be civil here in my email where I hope to reiterate my position on the rig and convince you to reconsider the release of the product and any games for the rig before taking a long look at the design and possible flaws.

As a game developer and trained and certified medical professional who specializes in the nervous system and the brain, I can tell you that the so-called minor surgery to install the rig’s port can cause major damage to the spinal cord, and it may cause subsequent paralysis that may be long term, if not permanent.

That’s just the beginning though. After hooking up to the rig, should a power surge from the internal battery occur (which, I will point out, is very likely from what I observed in your plans), the subject could potentially be placed into a coma, at which time I currently have no idea what might be going on with their health.

I can’t fully explore all of the flaws with simply a blueprint, but isn’t that enough to give you pause?

Now as much as I am a medical professional and these consequences in and of themselves cause me concern, I am still a fellow game developer, a former fellow classmate of yours, and one of your friends. I am worried about your career, reputation, and conscience.

Please consider what I have said, Amanda.

Sincerely,

Tarou Kagemune

CEO of the Kagemune Conglomerate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	5. Inbox (1) - Amanda Morano, Towa VR...

**Amanda Morano**  < [ amoranoceo@towavrgames.com ](mailto:amoranoceo@towaprgames.com) >

September 9, 2058

 

Ms. Tarou Kagemune,

It is good to hear from you after so long!  I can’t believe that it’s been nearly three years since we last spoke (which I will admit may be my own fault; you of all people know that I hold grudges for a long time), but it’s great to know that you, my closest friend, are happy to hear of my promotion!

I spent many years saving up to purchase the company from the previous owner, and thankfully I didn’t have to resort to any less than ethical means to get what I wanted.  I’m just kidding.

It really is good to hear from you though, and I would like to meet up sometime (maybe with those two cuties that you call brothers) for dinner or something.

Now… on a more professional note, I can’t really say that I am surprised that you are raining on my parade over such a small matter.  The  NervePort ™ gear is probably some of my best work and I have no plans of making any changes to it myself.  I’m moving into my new office next week and I do not have time to be dealing with such small matters as those that you mentioned.

What are the chances that any of those issues would occur, really?

If you have any suggestions as to how to look into this issue, then please let me know as our customers’ health and comfort is our top priority, but I see no way or need to change the design or change the date of its release.  

Again, I am glad you reached out to me and I look forward to possibly meeting up with you really soon, but I don’t think I can do anything to alleviate your obvious concerns.

I hope to see you soon,

**_Amanda Morano_ **

Amanda Morano

_ CEO and President of Towa VR Games _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	6. Outbox (1 recent) - Tarou Kagemune

**Tarou Kagemune**  <taroukagemune@kagemuneconglomerate.org>  

September 9, 2058

 **Ms.** Amanda Morano,

Please cut the lies.  It’s not that you do not see a way to fix the problems I have pointed out, it’s that you are too lazy and selfish to actually hire people to do it.  

You and I both know that the _Towa_ medical research staff is not up to par with today’s standards and should be fired for allowing your new rig to leave the lab, so why don’t you invest in **your own** **reputation** and hire new medical researchers for your labs to do what you need!

As for meeting up, I will not think of doing anything of the sort until you have resolved the issues I have brought to light and explored any possible others.  

I’m your friend, Amanda, and if you need advice I will gladly give it, but you aren’t listening to what advice I am giving you and I will not allow you to ignore it this time.  There is too much at stake here.

Think about it, Amanda.

Sincerely,

Tarou Kagemune

_CEO of the Kagemune Conglomerate_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	7. VR Tap Magazine

**VR Tap Magazine**

**A gamer’s way to tap into the source**

_ UPDATE:   _

_ Game Developer Tarou Kagemune Might Not Be Coming Back From Her “Short Hiatus” Any Time Soon In Light of Recent Family Crisis _

written by Joseph Collins, _Editor_                                                                                                                                                                            September 17, 2058

  
  


Recently there hasn’t been too much coming out from popular game developer Tarou Kagemune, a Manhattan resident and young prodigy in the field of game development.  The woman known for stunning graphics, awesome in-game controls, and great storylines has gone somewhat underground in past months with the only explanation a statement released on her website on March 2nd:

_ “I am going to be taking a brief hiatus from programming in order to take care of some family issues that have recently come up.  I appreciate all of the support I have been receiving for my recent releases and I hope that you all will continue to support me and Kagemune Games in the future.” _

The statement left some gamers in the community wondering how long this hiatus would last.  It seems that the hiatus might last longer than anyone might have guessed.

On April 16th the  _ New York Times _ ’ obituary page featured two blurbs that have confirmed that Kagemune’s hiatus may not be so short:

_ “Hideki S. Kagemune  MANHATTAN On September 15, Hideki S. Kagemune, retired cardiovascular surgeon, was killed in a fatal car accident along with his wife in Manhattan at age 54.  Born in Hokkaido, Japan, Hideki was the head of the Kagemune Conglomerate and was a first generation immigrant to the United States. He is survived by his three children: Tarou Kagemune, Masa Kagemune, and Makoto Kagemune.  He will be dearly missed by all of his friends and family.” _

_ “Casside Stone-Kagemune  MANHATTAN On September 15, Casside Stone-Kagemune, stay-at-home mother of one, passed away in a fatal car accident along with her husband in Manhattan at age 46.  Born in Caspar, Wyoming, Casside was a loving mother to her son Makoto Kagemune and beloved member of a local book club. She is survived by her son, Makoto Kagemune, and two stepchildren, Tarou Kagemune and Masa Kagemune.  She will be dearly missed by all of her family and friends.” _

The two obituaries came as a shock to gamers who had seldom heard of Tarou Kagemune’s parents other than that Hideki Kagemunes’s second marriage to Casside Stone, which had started off as an affair during the time Hideki had still been married to Tarou and Masa Kagemune’s mother, Yukina Katsura, and resulted in the birth of Hideki’s third child, Makoto Kagemune, not too long after the birth of his second child, Masa Kagemune, was born broke the relationship   


between father and daughter and led to a lasting grudge.

Despite the rough relationship between Kagemune and her father and stepmother, Tarou is planning the memorial service for both.  But with the death of both parental figures, gamers are left to question if they can look forward to a Kagemune release any time in the near future.

According to Kagemune’s close colleague, fellow game developer Samson Jonas, “Tarou can’t be away from work too long without driving herself crazy, so I wouldn’t think that this hiatus she has going on will last for too long.  She was never all that close with her folks in the time I had known her either, so gamers shouldn’t worry about a delay on their next release. What we have to remember is that she is still human and we should be sure to share our condolences with her.”

Well, insiders have agreed with Jonas’s statement, but how true can all of those statements really be when Tarou is dealing with such loss in the family?

No doubt Tarou and her family will be greatly affected by the loss of the former head of the Kagemune Conglomerate and his wife.  The gaming community is sure to be tapped into any updates as to how Tarou is doing and when she plans to come back. For now the questions of the community are left unanswered, but hopefully that won’t last for too long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The email, journal, and article portion of this part is nearly over. Look forward to a narrative chapter coming soon!  
> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	8. Inbox (1) - Amanda Morano (personal)

**Amanda Morano**  < [ amandamorano@zmail.com ](mailto:amandamorano@zmail.com) >

September 18, 2058

 

Tarou,

I have heard about your family’s recent loss and I want to share my condolences with you.  I know that you and Casside never got along, and I know that you have blamed your father for Yukina’s suicide for several years, but I also know that you aren’t a robot and this is hurting you; if it isn’t yourself that is hurt, it’s Masa and Makoto which I know will, in turn, hurt you.

Please believe me when I say that I am here if you ever need to talk.  We may have disagreed recently and in past years, but you are probably the closest thing I have to a friend now and I am here for you.  You were there for me when my mother passed, so I promise I will do my best to repay you.

If you need a place to stay to get away from everything, you know where I live; you can come by and crash in a spare bedroom for a while.  Bring your brothers for all I care. 

I know how you throw yourself into work when you’re stressed, and I don’t want that to happen now.  Tell me what I can do. 

I’m here for you Tarou.  Please remember that and feel free to use me as someone you can turn to.

Your friend,

Amanda Morano

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	9. Inbox (1) - Amanda Morano (personal)

**Amanda Morano**  < [ amorano@zmail.com ](mailto:amorano@zmail.com) >

September 23, 2058

 

Tarou,

I’ve been thinking.  Why don’t you come work out the kinks in the  NervePort ™ at Towa?  I’m worried about you and your brothers.  You tend to be self destructive and neither Masa nor Makoto have ever really been able to keep you from throwing yourself too much into you work.

I want to make sure that you feel okay about the release of the new hardware and I don’t want to get another panicked call from Makoto asking me to come to the hospital because you’ve passed out in your office.

Consider it, will you.  Even if I have to force you to step away, I won’t let this be your downfall.

Your friend,

Amanda Morano

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	10. Inbox (1) - Leo Corrigan

**Leo Corrigan**  < [ lcorriganprstaff@towavrgames.com ](mailto:lcorriganprstaff@towavrgames.com) >

September 25, 2058

 

Valued customers,

We at  _ Towa VR Games _ are proud to announce a collaborative effort with developer Tarou Kagemune of  _ Kagemune Games _ to work out bugs in the new  NervePort ™ hardware and to head the beta test of the hardware and first ever game for the gear,  _ Land of Shadows _ .

With this announcement comes some sad news.  The release date for both the  NervePort ™ and  _ Land of Shadows _ will have to be temporarily pushed off while Tarou and a team of medical and VR professionals debug any flaws.  This is for the safety of all of our customers, and we hope that you understand.

Because of this recent inconvenience, we are offering free and reduced-price games on our website to compensate you all.  Please know that we are working hard to make sure all of our customers receive the best services and products.

We look forward to the future of VR with you,

**_Leo Corrigan_ **

Leo Corrigan

_ Towa VR Games PR Staff _

 

**_Amanda Morano_ **

Amanda Morano

_ CEO and President of Towa VR Games _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	11. Translation of Tarou Kagemune's Journal Entry #5440

**Journal Entry #5,440**

**September 25, 2018**

 

The entrance into a storm,

dear friend,

is not always by choice.

Life is like a storm,

old friend,

And here I stand in its

Wicked eye.

I got through my entrance into the storm,

most respectable friend.

But you see, 

the eye is always the worst,

beloved friend,

Only because you never expect

that the worst has yet to come.

-Katsura Tarou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time I promise actual narrative chapters coming up next.  
> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	12. Chapter 1

_**October 7th** _

_**Towa Tower** _

_**Towa VR Games North American Headquarters** _

_**Manhattan, New York, New York** _

 

The lobby of Towa Tower was packed beyond capacity with members of the tower’s frenzied staff.  Security struggled to contain the crowd in the lobby, trying for some semblance of order where there clearly was none, and police officers had been called in to guard entrances in an attempt to keep the horde of reporters outside from achieving their goal of pushing their way into the building.  The reporters pressed in tightly, leaning against the glass doors that were kept barricaded by struggling law enforcement officers and a select few beefy rent-a-cops.

What the crowd was there for was quite clear to anyone who knew what events were taking place in Towa Tower that day: Tarou Kagemune, leading game developer, top neurosurgeon, and head of the Kagemune Conglomerate had come to Towa Tower and was upstairs at that very moment in talks with CEO and president of Towa VR Games, Amanda Morano.  

Everyone wanted to get a glimpse of the mysterious woman who had no more than a few weeks prior, challenged a rival developer nearly twice her age over what had appeared to be a flawless new rig design and won.  

Talk of Tarou’s victory and news of the redevelopment of the new Towa NervePort rig had spread rapidly after the emails between the two industry masters had gotten leaked by Morano’s secretary.  Publicity, both positive and negative, had quickly hit the front page of magazines and newspapers regarding the partnership and the inciting flaws that might have caused damage to consumers who might have picked up the new VR rig.

What might be happening wherever the two were meeting in Towa Tower was a hot topic for conversation.

But what was going on upstairs in Morano’ office, where Tarou had agreed to hold the initial meeting, wasn’t entirely what any of those waiting down below might have guessed.  What was really going on was far too bizarre for any of them to have expected of the two giants.

* * *

 

“You reek of incense, Tarou.”  Amanda Morano, 39 year-old CEO and president of Towa VR Games, stood in a pair of sweatpants and a ratty old t-shirt before the industry’s leading game developer, Tarou Kagemune.  Tarou and her two younger brothers stood awkwardly against the wall of the office nearest to the door.

Tarou stood in stark contrast to her two far more friendly siblings as she stared out the wall of windows.  While she was no less beautiful that the two men that stood on either side of her, it was quite clear that she was the leader.  Her stoic expression and carefully kempt appearance ensured that she had a careful air of command about her for anyone to easily pick up on.  Her attire was obviously chosen to exude power and control: her blazer was buttoned just far enough, her hair carefully brushed, her skirt pin-straight, blouse ironed to perfection, eight-inch black spike heels shined to allow her to see her own reflection in them, and makeup done just so.  She was quite the image to behold, especially when she stood between her two brothers.

Masa Kagemune - the older of the two male siblings and a handsome young man in a childish, mischievous sort way - laughed heartily at the crude insult to his sister.  Unlike Tarou, he stood relaxed and appeared completely at home in the room. “Yeah she does. I’m sure Mako and I do too. Just came from our parents’ shrine. There’s always some incense burning for them, courtesy of our one and only Tarou.  It’s only natural that we would smell a bit like it; Tarou especially.”

Amanda looked thoroughly perplexed.  “You worship your dead relatives?” There was a pregnant pause.  The question had obviously come out without much thought, and Amanda looked utterly mortifies as she tried to rush out her apology before the wicked glare Tarou was sending her way burned her to ash.  “Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that! I just—”

“We practice Shinto, but the shrine thing is Buddhist I believe.  It’s a Japanese thing,” Makoto cut in, trying to save Amanda from his sister’s harsh glare.  He tried to catch his sister’s eye, but he failed as Tarou continued to glare at Amanda.

It was hard to tell if Tarou was unhappy with the comment, or simply unhappy with her current situation.  Either way she looked murderous.

The small talk was clearly an attempt to try to lure Tarou out of her foul mood; it might have been a miserable attempt, but it was still an attempt.  

Tarou had yet to say a word since entering the car to that had come to whisk her away to Towa Tower.  The atmosphere was tense; it choked the room.

“Look Tarou, I know you aren’t all that happy that I didn’t give you a choice in the matter.  I announced our collaboration and forced you to cooperate for your own good though. I know you well enough to know that behind that — admittedly terrifying glare, you are spiralling and too proud to admit it,” Amanda said, voice small as her gaze met with Tarou’s.  

The staring ( _read:_ glaring) match didn’t last for long as Amanda had to quickly look away, afraid that the intensity of Tarou’s gaze might cause her to burst into flames.  

“ _My own good_ ,” Tarou scoffed.  “Who told you that this is what was _best for me_ , Morano?”  Tarou’s voice was icy as she took a threatening step toward the older developer.  Unsurprisingly, Amanda stepped back, bumping into her desk; the resulting noise caused the entire room to wince.

“I did,” Masa chirped, voice happy and almost unaffected by the tension.  

Tarou was scary on a good day, and despite being her brother, Makoto wouldn’t put it past her to target him, so he stayed silent despite having a hand in contacting Morano.  Unlike Masa who seemed fearless in the face of certain negative repercussions, he took a far more careful approach. He stared pointedly at the floor.

At Masa’s admission, Tarou stopped in her tracks.  

She slowly turned her glare onto Masa, slowly turning toward and taking a menacing step closer to the eldest of her two younger brothers.  

Upon catching sight of her menacing glare, Masa was quick to try and elaborate.  “To be fair, sister dearest, you weren’t leaving your office unless it was to check on Hideki, Casside, and mother’s incense.  You haven’t stopped to eat or sleep. And you hadn’t even checked your emails for like, an entire day. That’s totally unlike you!  It’s unhealthy. When I saw Amanda’s emails I thought it would be a great idea for you to step outside of the apartment and do _something_!”

When Tarou still didn’t look any more placated than she had before, Masa went for a more emotional angle.

Putting on his best puppy dog face, Masa whined, “I mean, I also haven’t seen her in a while so I figured this was a good opportunity for us to see good ole Amanda.  You know we like to see her every once in a while; she’s like, the fun one here. Plus, we’ve been cooped up ever since the memorial service. It isn’t good for us to be cut off from the world like that.  What if one of the other branches of the Kagemune group ran into trouble and you, being the family head, were out of touch with them and didn’t respond to any of their messages?”

Silence.

Tarou, admittedly, understood the points he was trying to make.  She looked down at the floor, slumping slightly.

“Fine, I’ll give you guys a break on this.”  She looked up, fierce glare renewed. “But if you guys ever decide something for me again…”  She left the end off, allowing the threat to hand in the air, menacing and unsaid.

Amanda nodded.  “Understood. Please, have a seat.  Relax. I’m sure that you would be less… aggravated if you were off of your feet for this conversation.  I ordered more comfortable chairs just for today!” Amanda gestured to cushy, brown leather chairs that sat in front of her desk.

“Needless waste of money,” Tarou grumbled, but took a seat anyway, sitting ruler straight.  “Let’s get this over with, Morano. I have far better things to do with my time.”

The room was silent, save for the shuffling of feet from the two Kagemune brothers as they made their way—awkward under the weight of their sister’s comment—to their own seats.  Amanda looked unphased by Tarou’s veiled venom as she continued to keep her face just-this-side of neutral.

“I’m glad you could spare some of your valuable time for little ole me, Ms. Kagemune.  It’s an honor,” Amanda said brightly, voice—despite her cheerful expression—edging on sarcastic.

Tarou rolled her eyes, shifting to get more comfortable.

“You announced my collaboration on this, so please, enlighten me on how you imagined I might assist you.”  Tarou glared directly through Amanda, seeming not to really see her—or more likely, posing the question to the entirety of the room.

Makoto, forever the brother of reliability and honesty, was the first to pipe in to answer.

“We had imagined that, due to your expertise in the nervous system and brain functions—and of course your desire to see the NervePort™ revamped to your standards—you might assist in the redevelopment of the NervePort™ and beta testing of the Land of Shadows game.”  Makoto had started his short speech with confidence, and as he continued on his voice lost its umph. He grew quiet, so Amanda piped in.

“Well, that is quite true.  We do hope that you might help out on our projects, but I was hoping that you could take your mind off of… everything by firing and hiring a new medical studies team.  I know how much you like to fire and hire,” Amanda chirped, trying to keep the mood light. Her comment was out of place, and Tarou didn’t take too kindly to it.

“Morano—”

“Joking!  Joking~” Amanda rushed out.  Tarou was intimidating. “Really, Tarou!  No sense of humor.”

“Can’t have one when you are criticising my treatment and management of Kagemune employees,” Tarou growled, leaning back in her seat a bit.  She looked entirely in control despite how uncomfortable she so obviously was given her shifting and even shorter temper.

“I would never do such a thing, Tarou.”  
“Yeah!  Mandy would never do such a thing, Tarou,” Masa joked.  He was conveniently within Tarou’s reach and received a hard slap to the back of the head from both of his siblings for his trouble.

“But really,” Amanda said, clearing her throat, “We do plan to have you work with our research team to work out the bugs in the new link system.  And we’d like you to look into our medical team.”

There was a tense silence, and Tarou seemed to be staring right through Amanda.  It was a long moment before anything was said, but when something did come out, it set into motion a storm.

“Fine.  I have nothing better to do right now.”  Tarou sat back in her chair, resigned to the fact that she was now committed to something she had a terrible, awful gut feeling about.

Tarou’s gut had never been wrong.  This was going to culminate in a terrible storm, much like they horrid typhoons she experienced in her youth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have delivered an actual chapter with plot!  
> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	13. Chapter 2

_**October 30th** _

_**Katsuraya Apartments** _

_**Shade Tower, Apartment 364AB** _

_**Manhattan, New York, New York** _

 

Papers were strewn all across Tarou’s bedroom as she poured over them.  From basic logistics of bio-link technologies to the exact blueprints of the NervePort™ lay in a mess all over the surfaces of Tarou’s room.  The woman herself was hunched over a notebook with a crude sketch of the NervePort™ that seemed so vastly different when compared to the printed copies she had been sent from Towa.

“It’s still not right.”  Tarou viciously ripped the page out of the notebook, crumpling it and throwing it aside into a waiting pile of other rejects.  “It needs to be better. So much better.”

She was so invested in her work, that she failed to notice the eldest of her younger brothers sneaking in and scooping up the most recent discarded draft.  Masa left without a word to Tarou, but not before sending her a somewhat smug look.

She was busy, but she was happy.  Even if she wasn’t smiling.

* * *

 

“It looks damn near perfect from where I stand,” Makoto said, looking up from the crumpled sketch that sat on top of his  _ Biology in the Modern Days: Technology Entrance into the Body _ textbook.  He sat at the dining room table with his college work spread much like Tarou’s.  “You said this was the most recent? The last one you brought me yesterday was amazing; there were virtually no flaws in the tech.  And now this. You say she’s still bent on perfecting it?”

“She’s Tarou.  Despite her passive aggressive journal entries that she signs as Tarou Katsura, and of course her insistence that she wants nothing to do with our father’s name, she is still very much Hideki’s daughter—or as he raised her, son.  She’s determined.” Masa paused for a moment. “Or maybe she sees something that my genius little brother can’t; some sort of flaw might exist.”

“From what I can tell, that’s impossible.”

“Yet she still works,” Masa shot back snidely.  He picked up the paper and took a look at it. He squinted his eyes.  He turned the paper this way and that. “I don’t get any of this. Do you think we should send this to Amanda?”

“We?  I have to finish my semester so Tarou can read over the work before I hand it in.   _ You _ shouldn’t though.  Tarou would be furious.”

“But… Amanda has been texting me—” 

“Interested in something, dear brother?  You do realize that woman is 9 years your senior correct?”

“Shut up,” Masa growled, throwing the paper back on the table.  “Anyway, who wants to tell Tarou that—”

“I’ve done it!”  The shout, so uncharacteristically enthusiastic, startled the brothers out of there moment.  “I’ve done it!”

Tarou was never so excited.  Yet there she was, a sketch—far more polished that the one sitting on the table—grasped so tightly in her hand as she walked swiftly toward the table the two sat around.  Masa had to quickly swipe the rough copy under the table. It went unnoticed—concerning.

“Look!  I’m pretty sure this is the perfect design.”

“Really?  Are  _ you _ sure it’s perfect?”  It was both men that asked.

“Yes.”

“Then it must be perfect.  Get in the car. We’ll head to Towa.”  Makoto was the first to rise from his seat, reaching to pull his sister into an immediately awkward embrace.  His fingers had just glanced over the port for the K2™ rig, and he knew, somehow, this moment would mean the end of Tarou’s life as it was.

The three, all rumpled in sweats and ratty t-shirts—save for Tarou who managed to somehow have been working in a pristine red kimono—jumped into Tarou’s black Honda.  Towa Tower was set as Tarou’s destination on her GPS.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	14. Chapter 3

_**December 4th** _

_**Towa Tower, Medical Bay** _

_**Towa VR Games North American Headquarters** _

_**Manhattan, New York, New York** _

 

“This is a huge moment for Towa, and a great step forward for biotech.  With Tarou Kagemune’s designs and a few modifications by our medical research team.  The release date for the NervePort™ and  _ Land of Shadows _ has finally arrived.  After beta testing the rig and game, and releasing the rig for medical installation, today is the launch date.”  Amanda Morano took a pause, smiling for the press photos. “Here today, in Towa Tower’s med bay, we had Tarou herself, and her younger brother Masa, launching into the first official day of the game.  Both have been part of the beta, but now it’s time to show off Towa’s accomplishments for real.”

The press began to shout questions.  Amanda held up her hand.

“Please hold your questions until after we get these two into the game.”

She motioned to the medical team who stood beside the Kagemunes who lay on the med bay cots with the link ports on display just under each of their right ears.  The team looked at Tarou; she nodded. 

The switch was flipped.

The link was established.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	15. Translation of Tarou Kagemune's Journal Entry #5475

**Journal Entry #5,475**

**November 30, 2035**

 

My heart may beat as if 

I am among the living 

dear old friend,

But that is only for now.

My heart may beat as if, 

my old friend, 

I am among the living but

I only live for a select few.

Once I know they are safe, 

beloved old friend,

My heart will cease.

Know this to be true.

Know that this will be the end

Of me and my legacy.

Now it slows,

And I trust those left

To carry on what I have started.

My heart may beat as if

I am among the living

Most honorable, trusted friend

But I know it stutters even now

And these days will be my last.

\- Katsura Tarou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	16. Tamayura

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the beginning of the second part of "The Shadow Keeper" - Tamayura.

**_Japanese adverbial noun, archaism_ **

_ short time, fleeting moment _


	17. Welcome to Land of Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Creating player profile for: Tarou Kagemune

**Welcome to the world of** **_Land of Shadows_ ** **, produced by Towa VRGames!  We would like to formally welcome you as a player and thank you for participating in** **_Land of Shadows._ **

**This world of magic and warriors is proud to be the first successful virtual reality game released on an international level, using the nerve link implanted into the back of your neck!  The link connects to nerves and all of your senses, including pain receptors, although at a lower level, to help create the perfect and most realistic world for all to enjoy and experience.  Please consent to the use of the link to emulate pain and other sensory receptors:**

**You have selected:** _ Yes _

**Please enter your real name as well as the username you wish to be called within the game.  We suggest that you not use your real name for your security and enjoyment of the role playing elements:**

 

**First name:** _ Tarou  _

**Last name:** _ Kagemune _

**Username:** _Tarou Kagemune_

 

**Welcome** _ Tarou _ **to the opening day of** **_Land of Shadows_ ** **!  We are thrilled to have such a powerful player as you on our servers.  In order to interact with friends and speakers of your native language, please enter your home country, gender, and age/date of birth.  You may not be allowed to change this or switch servers after this point, so be sure to double check your selection before continuing:**

 

 **Country (server):** _United States of America_

 **Gender:** _Female_

 **Age:** _19_

 **Date of Birth:** _November 17_

 

**Thank you very much for your cooperation during the registration process!**

**Now, the world of Land of Shadows is full of wonderful opportunities and magical beings.  You have a chance to choose to be one of these magical beings and enjoy the thrills that come with being a member of the race and what it can bring to a battle and everyday tasks.  There are 10 races that you can choose from:**

 

**Enchanter:**

While having the advantage of being able to cast spells, 

Enchanters have weak attack power, but are extremely skilled 

in the defensive and healing arts.  Enchanters can be key 

figures in any situation.

**Vampire:**

Vampires have the ability to move stealthily through terrain 

and are well suited as companions with high level strength 

stats, but they must feed on magical energy to maintain their 

abilities and energy, so they must be close to a willing magic 

user as an unwilling magic user’s blood is poisonous and can cause paralysis.  

This is tricky because it drains HP 

          on the partner’s part, but the bond formed between the two is

strong, unbreakable even, and can supply both with 

unimaginable power.

**Sorcerer:**

With unlimited attack power, sorcerers are great at casting

powerful spells in battle, but lack good defenses.  A powerful 

sorcerer is a strong and useful ally, and has above average HP 

to compensate for the lack of 

           defense.

**Warrior:**

As one of the strongest races with one of the broadest numbers 

     of sub races, warriors are great for all sorts of physical pursuits 

     including battle, hunting, agriculture, and contractors 

     (stonemason, forger, etc.).  

**Angel:**

Angels are angelic and possess the ability to change forms, much 

     like shifters, but they lack the ability to join guilds larger than 5

     members.  Automatically after joining a guild or party, the angel 

     supplies strong protection spells to each and every member of the 

     guild and allows all members to learn and master new attacks for

     themselves, but HP will go down in doing so.  Even so, angels 

     hold amazing power, both alone and within a group.

**Shifter:**

Much like the idea of a werewolf, shifters possess the ability to

change forms and gain immense strength and stamina when doing 

    so, as well as achieving helpfully enhanced natural instincts and 

    reasoning.  With this “shift” comes danger, though.  When shifting, 

    a shifter cannot respond to attacks or defend themselves and must 

    endure for one minute.  

**Siren:**

Sirens are similar to the old sailor tales about mermaids.  

With “ethereal” beauty and a number of enchanting spells, they have 

     the ability to control other players in order to defeat them or aid 

     them in battle.  Enchanting can be a dangerous game though.  

      The higher the opponent’s level, the harder and more taxing it is 

      to control them.

**Druid:**

Normally a peaceful people, druids come in over 50 variations 

      with sub races, making them the most diverse race.  Made for 

      specific tasks, they are given an ample amount of magic and        

      have the ability to create new spells in exchange for HP.  Druids 

      are specialty people, but have the ability to continuously gain     

      new sub races throughout the duration of the game.

**Demon:**

             Demons, the enemy of the angel race, are the exact opposite of

      angels.  With the ability to join large guilds, demons are great 

      beings for parties of over 5 players.  Demons possess dark magic, 

     something that grows with lives taken (player or monster alike), 

     although they are also skilled in potion and poison making.  They 

     cannot work with angels though, and fighting against an angel 

     quickly depletes the HP of a demon.

**Assassin:**

Typically associated with the warrior race, assassins are gifted 

       with a number of stealth spells and are great for night raids or 

       combat in heavy combat.  Outside of the cover of darkness or 

       game objects, an assassin emits a low frequency that is audible 

       to all players when using stealth mode.

**Please select the race you would like to be.  Keep in mind that your main race cannot be changed later in the game.**

 

 **You have chosen:** _Sorcerer_

 

**Welcome, powerful sorcerer… or should we say sorceress!  We are delighted to have you in this world of magic, danger, and adventure!  Sorcerers have the power to control elements of nature and are the only race to have the power to do so.  Please select a sub race:**

**Fire**

**Water**

**Earth**

**Air**

**Shadow**

**Light**

**You have chosen:** _Shadow_

**It’s good to see you enjoy the darkest of magic, something most only dare to dream about and others avoid.  Shadow is a powerful dark art and it seems that you are ready to command it! Now young shadow sorceress, a place to call home is important, and the alliances that you make within that place are irreplaceable.  Please select a home town/city/province on the U.S. server and affiliate with a guild, select to play as a solo player, or choose to start a guild:**

 

 **The city of Embers:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The town of Grounder:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The city of Aero:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The province of Krown:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The province of Sora:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The city of Ronin:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The town of Constellation:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The town of Montoya:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The town of Rockwell:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The city of Kingston:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The province of Inaho:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The province of York:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The town of Naomi:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The town of Koan:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The city of Connor:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The province of Old Samuel:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 **The city of William:** **_No Guilds Listed_**

 

 **You have chosen:** _The town of Grounder_

 **You have chosen:** _Start a Guild_

 **Please enter the desired name of your new guild:** _Shade_

 

**We are thrilled to have the young guildmaster of the** _ Shade Guild _ **with us and joining in on the game in the** _ town of Grounder _ **!  You are the first player to select this** _ town _ **as your home and are the first guildmaster on the U.S. server!  You have a lot of work ahead of you, so please refer to the player help manual in your items.  We see a prosperous future for both you and your guild! Feel free to set up a base for your guild with the bonus silver given to you for starting a guild.  We wish you luck on your journey! Here we go!**

**…**

**…**

**Loading**

**…**

**…**

**Loading**

**…**

**…**

**Error**

**Error**

**Error**

**Player Status Has Been Reset**

**Race Change**

**…**

**…**

**Error**

**…**

**Error 592**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	18. Player Inbox - In-Game Messages (1) - Towa VR Games

**In-Game Messages: 1**

**Sender:** _ Towa VRGames _

**Subject:** _ Major error, unable to access system _

 

_ Welcome to Land of Shadows!  We hope you enjoy your experience in the game.  As this is the first full dive virtual reality experience released to the public, we are thrilled about the response we have gotten before players have even entered the game!  If you have any feedback, whether it be a comment, question, or suggestion, please contact the gamemaster or the Towa game team through our website which you can find a link to in your start menu.  Thank you! _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Amanda M. _

_ CEO of Towa VRGames _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	19. Tamayura: Prologue

_ “All that is gold does not glitter, Not all who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.  From the ashes the fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.” _

_ -J. R. R. Tolkien _

* * *

 

_**One Day After Day Zero in Land of Shadows** _

_**June 26th** _

_**The Forest of Andre** _

 

It wasn’t her first or even her second choice to end up stuck there, in a game that she had no idea how to escape from.  Far from it, if she was being completely honest. It had all started as a chance to get into a type of media that her family’s business had not yet started in, that was all.  She wanted to research it. She wanted to be a part of it so that she could work out her plans. She didn’t go into it thinking she would end up trapped, or that any of her family would have tagged along and received the same fate, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way.  Looking at the two children in front of her, she was glad that she was trapped and able to be with and protect those she had come to know… or at least as glad as she could be trapped in something from one of the novels her oldest younger brother enjoyed reading so much from Japan.  Games involving imminent death, both in common virtual reality, that that could be experienced through a screen, and the virtual reality that had recently took the world by storm, the kind that could drag you in and give you a first hand experience… well, they weren’t really her thing at all, but it seemed interesting enough compared to the constant business meetings or medical classes she had been through before.  She might admit to missing her family outings and meals, but that was neither here nor there.

The two children in front of the woman sobbed into each other's arms, although they were both mumbling their thanks under their breath.  She simply smiled and nodded, turning away from them and taking a few steps toward the awaiting shadows of the forest, the same thing she had just saved the two from moments before.  A small clearing of the throat, just loud enough for her to hear, stopped her in her tracks, and she looked over her shoulder at the boy who stood in front of his younger female companion, tears and sniffles not yet stopped but eyes fiery and determined.

“Miss, what are you,” he asked quietly, wiping away his tears and trying to look as if nothing had happened, but failing miserably, pride giving way to reality without him realizing it.  He blushed a little, cheeks flaming, and the woman couldn’t help but chuckle at him and his wording of the question. “I… I didn’t mean it like that! I just-”

“I’m ‘a’ Tarou,” she said quietly, a low chuckled hiding just under her breath.  She had never been asked ‘what’ she was, at least not like that. She had been asked from ‘what’ family she was from or what of ‘what’ profession, but never of what race or… what did the boy even mean?  A prodigy she may be, but not everything was as easy as academics. “If you ever need any help-”

“I didn’t mean that, Miss Tarou!  You aren’t some breed of… something.  You… you’re like no other player I’ve ever… we’ve ever met!  And I’ve been playing MMOs for a long time! Are you a guildmaster?  Are you a Shadowlander? If you are a player, what is your level? What class are you?  Subclass? What skills do you-”

“You’re full of questions, aren’t you,” Tarou chuckled.  For someone who still looked shaken and put off, the boy’s curiosity was beyond Tarou’s comprehension.  The other girl giggled a little too, wiping at her face with the sleeve of her long druid dress, but stopped laughing when a man, in similar dress to Tarou’s, walked out of the shadows that blanketed and caressed the mysterious, dark haven of the forest.  Tarou tensed before relaxing when the man put his hands up in a placating motion, his features more recognisable in the light of the clearing. “Masa,” she acknowledged.

“Tarou, it’s time to go.  I’m getting really, and I mean really, tired.  And the monsters and MGs are beginning to show up more often looking for stragglers who haven’t found havens for the night.  It’s dangerous, and you’re exhausted too. Don’t try to deny it,” he said before seeing the two young children standing a bit further away, eyeing him nervously.  He looked back at Tarou, expression closed, guarded. “MPCs?”

“No, Masa.  They’re like us.  They’re solo… Or something of that nature.  No guild,” Tarou said, looking back at the two younger players.  “If you want to find out ‘what’ I am, why don’t you hang around with us for a while?  At least until you level up a little and get used to the game. It’ll be safer than joining any old guild or going it alone for now.  You may not know us, but you don’t know this game either, and I saved your life. That’s more than you know about these woods.”

There was a moment of hesitation as both considered Tarou’s proposition carefully, their faces scrunching up almost comically in concentration, and Masa tensed up, moving his hand slowly toward his weapon as if the children could somehow hurt them, but Tarou stood firm.  She kept looking off into the forest with an intense gaze as if considering her proposal again. She nodded and looked back at the children. The boy’s frown turned into a beaming smile and he nodded excitedly. The girl didn’t respond in kind, but she looked somehow relaxed.

“Then let’s go on an adventure.  How about it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	20. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next "chapter" in the novel.

_**Three Years After Day Zero in Land of Shadows** _

_**June 25th** _

_**The Town of Grounder** _

 

“Guildmaster Masa!  Guildmaster Masa! She’s back from the mission,” Joey shouted as he rushed into the guildmaster’s quarters.  Masa, thanks to the game system’s constant body scans, had aged since Day Zero and looked his age instead of like an eighteen year-old teenager like he had been when the game had started.  He looked away from flirting with his assistant toward the rude intrusion. The young, modestly dressed woman seemed less than pleased. Her druid attire, a spell book clutched to her chest, made her look almost like a witch wannabe from TV shows on the CW.  She pushed against the guildmaster’s, Masa’s chest.

“Who is,” Masa asked with a bored expression.  His assistant sighed, rolling her eyes, pulling out a small notepad from one of the many pockets in her skirt, flipping through it, and then smiling when she found something.  Masa pouted at her, looking more like a small child than a twenty year-old guildmaster and senior beta player in the Land of Shadows VRMMORPG. “How come you look like that when you look at a piece of paper, but when I’m with you, you seem to hate me, Karla?”

“Guildmaster Masa, how is it that you became a guildmaster and Tarou, who by the way, has just arrived back from a mission, isn’t when she is so much more suited to that position,” Karla asked haughtily.  She smiled at Joey as he stood impatiently in the doorway, both excited about Tarou’s return and disapproving of their guildmaster’s motives toward the Karla, Joey’s younger sister. “Why don’t we go greet Tarou?  She’s been gone for nearly three days now. I think we were all a little worried.”

“I bet you wish my loner of a sister would be the guildmaster.  Too bad she prefers to be a solo player. If she were a guy, you would be falling at her feet,” Masa mumbled as he walked swiftly back to his desk, grabbing his cloak and fastening the clasp emblazoned with the Shade Guild’s emblem.

“My, what gave you that idea, Guildmaster Masa,” Karla asked sarcastically before scrunching her nose up at the idea of Tarou as a guy.  She looked back at her brother who had turned and waited patiently for her in the doorway. “Just so you know, I don’t fall at anyone’s feet, even Tarou’s.  Not even if Tarou were a man. Masa, just so you know because we don’t tell you enough and you don’t realize it on your own, you are a good leader. That’s why Tarou helped you set up this guild and let you lead.  She believes in you, and if she didn’t, you can bet your bottom dollar that she would never have left you alone or in charge of Shade. So, you should prove that you are who she believes you are. You put up this front to defend yourself from your fear of your sister’s solo player status, but by doing so you are failing her and those who rely on you.  Don’t think for a second that you’re as unreadable as Tarou. So, toughen up and straighten out your act.”

“You should come greet her with us, Guildmaster Masa.  I’m sure Tarou’d be thrilled to see you. You haven’t talked to her since your last fight over her joining the guild,” Joey said quietly before walking out of the room quickly, Karla hot on his heels.

“Yeah,” Masa mumbled, straightening his clothes.  He looked at a picture on the office wall, a picture from the day Shade Guild was founded.  His sister, Tarou, the unsmiling and unfeeling, smiled brightly back at him, her arms slung around his neck.  He was smiling in that picture, something he hadn’t done honestly in a while, and he looked younger. They were standing in front of Tarou’s… their pride and joy, Shade Tower.  It was only his sister’s smile that held his gaze. “It has been a while, hasn’t it.”

* * *

 

Tarou was as cool and collected as ever.  

Her face was carefully emotionless, her dress, a short, neutral gray number common among women her age, was chosen as to not give away her class, and her weapons were kept hidden under a cloak of a darker gray, as to keep her seeming as pleasant to be around as possible.  

She led her game-generated companion, a German shepherd named KoTarou, through the center of the commercial town of Grounder.  Low profile was desirable, especially for someone of her standing, so she kept her head down and emotions at bay to ensure that KoTarou wouldn’t draw any attention.  Tarou made sure to keep her player stats and information inaccessible, and to keep from showing exactly how exhausted she really was, she kept the hood of her cloak up and her face hidden. 

The citizens of Grounder parted like the Red Sea before her, clearly not taking the hint that she was trying not to be noticed, and she had to stop from snapping in annoyance at the players as they gawked and whispered among themselves.  It was only natural, though. The name Tarou was like the name of a god in Land of Shadows, and almost everyone, especially those in her town of origin, knew what she looked like even when she was trying to avoid notice when on her excursions around the game.  Tarou herself knew that she had done nothing to remain on the down low. She had just finished polishing off several hoards of monsters and taking care of three murder guilds. News was sure to have spread.

 It was clear that KoTarou had noticed her emotional readings as his normally calm demeanor that she had set into his systemic reactions was wiped away, a growling beast replacing him much like the KoTarou she knew while she fought alongside him.

“Easy KoTarou.  We just have to make it to Shade Tower.  We’ll be okay. I’ll be fine,” she whispered, immediately calming her companion’s unease by quelling her own.  She could see the shining silver tower not too far from their location, the tower standing proudly in the center of Grounder as the tallest structure, a guardian of the people, but it wasn’t spawning any of her typical elated reactions.  She could clearly remember the fight she and the Shade guildmaster had about a month prior before she had left on a mission. It wasn’t any harsher than usual, but she couldn’t help but feel that it was more final than the others she and her younger brother had.  She couldn’t help but think that she and Masa were… distancing.

_ “You need to settle down, Tarou!  This is a dangerous game and you know it!  Oh! Of all people, you would know! If you keep going out to the front lines, you might not come back next time!  What will I do then, huh? What will I do if my sister doesn’t come back? I can’t crumble. God forbid! But what would I do,” Masa shouted at her, eyes narrowed at his sister who stood calmly on the other side of his office.  Tarou was leaning against the wall of the guild’s main office, expression blank, her battle attire of black, skin-tight pants and a t-shirt seeming to mock her brother. The fact that her stats were hidden didn’t help the situation and made Masa worry even more.  “How am I supposed to trust you to be alright, especially on your own, when I don’t even know who you really are here? Huh? How am I supposed to let you go?” _

_ “What am I supposed to do, Masa?  Let others go out and fight... and die... when I could be out there and maybe save lives?  We finally have a reason to fight, we’re on the verge of an uproar between advanced Shadowlanders and players!”  Tarou’s composure seemed to slip a little, eyes bright, but then she took a deep, shuddering breath to regain it.  “I am more than capable, Masa. I have the ability to hack the system to some extent, so I can protect myself even without my own skills which, by the way, I have plenty of.  I am plenty able to be doing this, and I have always worked best when I know who I can trust, and right now, that is just me and KoTarou.” _

_ “KoTarou is a system-generated mutt!  He isn’t something you can trust or rely on!  You can trust us! You can trust me,” Masa shouted, earning the same cool glare that had become Tarou’s trademark expression.  “Join the guild, Tarou. You started this guild, and you  _ **_should_ ** _ lead it too, but you just being a member would put me at ease.  You would qualify for guild housing and be able to get out of the slums.  You would be under guild protections and wouldn’t have to-” _

_ “I chose to live in the slums, Masa.  I want to be with the people I’m out there fight for.  I fight for you as well, but those people in that town, they can’t or won’t fight, so I will in their place.  I don’t want to be in a guild, but knowing that the guild I gave you is safe for all members makes me feel better.” _

_ “Tarou-” _

_ “No, Masa.  I’m not joining.  Not now. Not in the foreseeable future.”  Tarou took a deep breath, pausing and looking down.  She glanced up, almost shyly. “Take care of the guild for me, okay,” she said, turning to exit the guildmaster's quarters. _

_ “Tarou, we’re not done here!” _

_ “Goodbye Masa.  Keep an eye out for any trouble in Grounder or in the guild.  I’ll be back soon.” _

Tarou sighed heavily, her ribs expanding in a way that made her virtual form’s back ache a little more than it already had been.  It had been almost a month since that fight and they still hadn’t talked. No conversations had passed between them. Not a word uttered.  In fact, if Tarou remembered correctly, the hadn’t even been in the same room at all after that fight.

Sure, she had been back to Shade Tower, and she had even seen Masa since then (not in person of course, but while she was checking the guild’s security feed), but she was just as stubborn as he was, which meant that nothing had happened between them.  It almost reminded her of when they were younger and they fought over who would be making dinner. The thought made her laugh; envisioning herself, no older than maybe ten, Masa a year younger, both glaring fiercely at nothing and refusing to talk to each other.  

Well, nothing had changed apparently.  Of course, she hadn’t helped anything as she had taken more quests than usual in order to keep her mind off of their disagreement, keeping her away far more than she should have been during such a busy time and certainly not making Masa, who disagreed with her little excursions all together, any happier either. 

She idly wondered if Masa hated her or would speak to her once she got back, but that was of little importance if she took a step out of herself to look at the bigger picture.  She would continue to support him and the guild as much as she could, regardless of a strained relationship, if such a terrible thing were to happen. Masa was a good leader, so as long as he… they managed to survive, she would be willing to deal with any harsh feelings they held for her.  

Everyone just had to survive long enough for her to figure out why Land of Shadows had trapped them all inside the game and how to get them all out… or at least get everyone else out.  Honestly, in Tarou’s world, not much else mattered. Life had taken a toll on her before the game, and she was a shadow dweller then, but putting her in a world of shadows like herself and allowing that experience be a life for others… life had bitten her in a bad place because all she worried about was getting everyone else away from the darkness she was forced to know so well and live in.

Aches seeped through Tarou’s dark thoughts, killing any emotion that might have been present on her face.  She was tired. She didn’t feel well. And worst of all...

“Did you hear about Tarou’s last mission?  I mean, wow! She killed an army of 100 demons and then finished off some monsters before dinner because she was bored.  She’s a beast. We should be glad that she’s a protector and not a member of a murder guild or we’d all be six feet under.  And she would be the only one to blame,” one of the players said to a friend, tone quiet as if to keep the woman herself from hearing.

“How do we know she’s  _ not _ part of a MG?  She blocks all of her stats and data from public view,” the other responded, tone equally as quiet, hinting on conspiratory.  “I hear she also makes shady trips to international servers. She’s probably hiding the fact that she’s a part of a foreign MG.  Some say she’s not American, that she was born in some dying country before she came to America and made it into a beta test on this server.  Either way, we should be careful around her.”

_ Dying country?  Japan? _  Tarou tuned in to the response.

“But I heard she founded the Shade Guild on Day Zero.  It’s a powerful haven guild that protects all of the U.S. servers and players, not to mention runs the guild alliances and helps out with the economics and politics of the towns.  She can’t be all that bad.”

“But she isn’t even a member of her own guild; she’s a solo player.  And you forget that Shade is a multi server guild. She probably formed it with her MG friends from other servers to cover up the fact that they kill off members or use the buildings to torture players.  Plus, I don’t think she’s ever even been in a party. She’s a powerful player who hates involvement with others. She’s got enough assets to last a lifetime in this game. I don’t see why she wouldn’t use all of that to her advantage.  That would be befitting of her solo status. Solo players are selfish scum. I hear she lives in some mansion in the upper east side of Grounder.”

Tarou had to admit that what they were saying was true to the character she had created, except for the location of residence and the fact that Japan was anything but a dying country.  Solo players were notorious for being assassins-for-hire, rich, and fickle. She was none of those things in reality, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t suited to be like that now. She had to be in order to protect everyone… and she had to admit that she was a terribly strong player with a tendency to overdo it or to act harshly or rashly at times.

She hardly realized that she had stopped walking until KoTarou began to whine beside her, looking up at her with his tongue lolling out.  She smiled down at him and patted his head softly, trying to reassure him that she was fine. She was fine. She was fine.

“It’s okay, KoTarou.  I’m just a little worn out,” she said softly, ignoring the growing crowd that seemed to become more and more agitated the longer she stood there.  Although the crowd was distracting, she could sense a group of approaching players with a more light hearted atmosphere around them. She had a feeling she knew who was in the group.  In fact, she knew exactly who was in that group. “Let’s just wait here for a while. You okay with that, my boy?” KoTarou panted in response, head tilting to the side as he plopped down onto the ground.  They didn’t have to wait all that long before the oncoming party was upon them.

“Tarou!  Tarou! Tarou!  Tarou!” 

Tarou was nearly knocked over by the two younger players that barreled toward her, her hood falling back to reveal her face.  She chuckled, looking down to see both Karla and Joey were both grinning up at her like idiots, which arguably they were. KoTarou just looked up at them from his position lying down and continued panting happily, tail wagging lazily.

“What a good guard dog you are,” Tarou chided jokingly, receiving a rough bark in answer.

“We’re so glad you’re back, Tarou!  You jerk! You left us behind without saying a word!  We had to find out from Hitch that you had gone off again,” Joey said softly, his eyes glossing over with tears.  He stuck his face into Tarou’s neck, rubbing back and forth. Tarou hummed softly, low in her throat, as her skin began feeling sticky and wet.   _ Kind of gross.  Can’t help it though.  It’s bearable.  _

“Don’t cry, Joey.  Remember what I said three years ago?”  Tarou had asked the same question every time she had returned.  It had always worked to calm the young man down, reminding him of the past, even if it was bitter sweet.  This time seemed to be no different.

“You asked us to come along on an adventure with you,” Joey said quietly, his posture relaxing bit by bit.

“And when you agreed, I told you that adventurers-”

“Don’t ever cry,” Masa finished, catching Tarou’s attention immediately.  His voice was rough on her ears, almost unfamiliar after such a long absence from her.  She had missed it, and even though she could tell he was distressed, she relished in the fact that he was even talking to her.  “It’s good to have you back in Grounder again, sister. Although I must say, talking to Hitch instead of your beloved founding guild member children-things is kind of harsh, I must say.”

Tarou winced internally, careful not to show anything on her face.  She knew Masa had meant to hurt her. He hadn’t used her name, something he never did, and he had purposely gone after her lack of tact and tendency to hurt those she wanted to protect.   _ He hates me.  I knew it. _

“Not much of a choice there… wait, what did you just call them?  Don’t answer that,” Tarou said, sighing tiredly. She was careful to let out just enough of how she felt to ease the tension and make her seem more human.  She was exhausted, and her realization about her brother had done nothing to help. “Hitch is in charge of keeping my will in order. I have to talk to the scribe every time I leave on a mission.”  Tarou’s face went tight and her body language became less free, closed. “It’s good to see you again.” And suddenly...

“I’m sorry,” both Masa and Tarou said at the same time, each shocking the other.  

Karla and Joey giggled from their places latched onto Tarou.  Tarou looked away from her brother, a look of utter defeat on her face.  “You have nothing to be sorry about, Masa. You are my little brother and you are looking out for both of us.  I must apologize for my harsh actions.”

“It was a battle that I picked and I knew how you would react.  It’s my fault. You have nothing to be sorry for,” Masa said quietly, looking away as well.  The heavy atmosphere was broken by KoTarou whose systematic response to his master’s upset was to take attention away from the problem.  Masa smiled at the dog that his sister treasured so much. “I hope you’re taking care of my big sister out there, KoTarou.”

“He is,” Tarou said softly, managing to push the two younger players away.  The dog had continued panting happily under the attention being showered on him.  Tarou changed the subject, sensing the once again encroaching tense atmosphere. In a light tone, Tarou continued the conversation.  “I’m home, and I brought all kinds of gifts for you guys and the guild. I made a killing on this past mission, so the guild should be good for expenses for at least a few months without worrying about watching costs, so feel free to spend a little extra and rest some of the front line fighters for a while.”

“And you have enough to get by,” Masa asked quietly.  It had been a problem for a while, Tarou not taking enough to get by on from her own earnings.  Tarou nodded with a careful smile. She was lying, not that Masa could tell, but he knew something was off.  “You should make sure that you don’t give too much to the guild. You live in the slums, yet you pay dues to the guild plus some.  You know, you don’t have to give anything to the guild since you aren’t an official member of Shade. What’s the use if you don’t get guild support or advantages?”

“It is my guild, so I have a duty to keep it afloat,” Tarou said dismissively, sending a smile to the two younger players, children really, who were beaming up at her.  She changed the subject again, trying to lighten the mood and deflect the attention Masa had placed on her. “Hey Karla, how’s druid training? Joey, how about your tank training?  I heard Hitch talking about sending you guys out into the field on a mission pretty soon. I’ll take that as a sign and say that training is going well.”

“Yeah, but just this week a team of healing druids and knights from the guild were killed by an MG.  I don’t think I want to go out there, let alone let Karla out,” Joey said, ruffling his sister’s hair.  His tone was light, but his eyes let on how gravely afraid he actually was. Tarou hummed, completely understanding the situation and sympathizing.  An idea came to mind.

“If you want, I’ll go out with you on a mission.”

“Really,” Karla asked excitedly, brushing off her brother’s hand.  Unlike Joey, Karla was far more interested in getting away from the safety of the guild and its walls.  She stepped toward Tarou, ignoring her brother’s whine of disapproval and outstretched hand. Joey sighed.  He had no reason to worry about going with Tarou, she would protect both of them, but he didn’t want Karla in harm's way.  He didn’t want Tarou in harm's way, but he couldn’t argue with her. He couldn’t argue with either really, so he resigned himself to the idea.

“Yeah, it’d be fun.  Maybe tomorrow or the day after that.  Right now I want to catch up on guild affairs and rest for a while.  Not long though. Too much to do.” Before Masa could say something, and he looked like he was going to, Tarou continued with a cheerful smile.  “I’m starving and it’s about time I figure out how well my brother is at protecting my family. I just brought back enough for an S class meal for everyone.  I’m cooking.”

Masa shook his head.  Tarou never rested, and he was none too happy about her determination to keep moving and up to date.  It wasn’t worth arguing about, though. Masa knew enough about his sister to know that it was a pointless argument.  He was better off allowing it. Life was easier that way.

“Yeah, we should talk about some of the guild politics.  Something pretty major has come up that I think you’d like some say in.  We can also look into some missions for the two noobs,” Masa said, leaning down to pat KoTarou on the head.   _ At least she can rest physically, _ Masa thought in an effort to console himself and curb his worry.  But then he paused. It dawned on him what she had said. “S class…  How much did you-”

“It’s settled then.  Let’s head back to Shade Tower.  This crowd is starting to grate on my nerves.”  Tarou glared at the gawking crowd, causing them to look away and slowly start their activities again, before snapping her fingers as a signal.  KoTarou barked an affirmative before bolting on ahead of the group, all of whom, except for Masa, quickly ran after him. They laughed as if the mood hadn’t been heavy just moments before, and Tarou as if she weren’t exhausted from her long hours, days really, in the field.  Shade Tower in all its shining silver glory glinted down on the four players, a beacon that signified glory, happiness, comfort, and safety. It towered over them as if death wasn’t an imminent part of everyday life in the world of Land of Shadows, as if everything was alright.

Tarou noticed this, but said nothing.  She had made it that way, really, so she approved of the obvious success of her efforts.

Masa, however, disagreed.  “What a joke,” he grumbled under his breath as he followed.  “It looks like her grave. No beauty could disguise that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	21. Chapter 5

_ “The sad truth is that we’re all missing someone.  And hoping that wherever they are, they’re missing us back.” _

_ -Unknown _

* * *

 

_**June 26th** _

_**The Town of Montoya** _

_**Sun Compound** _

 

The metal clashing of swords and the pained grunts of knights filled the air in the Sun Guild’s training courtyard.  Instructors in white guild uniforms roamed around, critiquing and correcting men and women as they went. Not far away, a group of forager druids picked berries and small children, ranging from 10 to 15 years old, watched some hunters in the bordering forest chasing down a ginny dear for sport.

“Has anyone seen Leo today?  He has to take care of very important guild affairs,” screamed a short, skinny teenager with messy brown hair in guild council uniform robes.  He stopped in his tracks when he spotted the man in the center of the training formation.

The man moved with a practiced grace and ease as he fought with two small daggers against a much larger knight.  His white uniform pants, although usually a bit restraining, seemed to cause him little discomfort or trouble while fighting, and his black tank top enabled him to move his arms freely.  It was clear to see that he seemed to be winning. “Guildmaster Leo!”

The fighting stopped immediately, and the man in the center, Leo, looked back at the boy, wide-eyed.  The knight he had been fighting against chuckled, punching him in the shoulder lightly. “What was that about the council approving you to attend training, boss?  You might want to run if you don’t want shorty over there to catch you.”

“Bye, Paul!  Make sure to work on your quickdraws,” Leo shouted, stowing the two daggers away in sheaths on his belt before bolting toward the forest.  He didn’t get far before he was immobilized by a spell cast by the boy running after him, holding up his long robes as he ran. “Damn enchanter class!  Why did he have to learn that spell?”

“You were supposed to be preparing for the guildmaster conference in Grounder!  You have two days before you have to leave, and you can’t skip out on this one. The Shade Guild is hosting it and we can’t afford to lose any help they give us.  Guildmaster Masa is picky about who he helps, but he leads Land of Shadow’s top guild thanks to the guild’s founder. He has offered rooms for all of those who attend and a security detail for those who want it.  Rumors even say that one of the most powerful players may even attend as a favor from Masa. It would be nice to get some tips from them, especially since the guild is getting bigger and the threats from dark guilds and MGs are on the rise,” the boy said as he reached Leo.

“And why would I care about that, Kohl?  We’re a good guild on our own, so why would we need help from some guild who was abandoned by its founder?  It couldn’t be all that good if the person who started it left it behind. And we have plenty of very powerful players.  I could be of more use to my own guild here working on guild matters or with the troops than there rubbing elbows with players who send others out to do the dirty work because they’re too scared.”  Leo sagged as the spell wore off. He stood up a bit straighter, but didn’t look into Kohl’s eyes. He knew what would happen if he did, but then again, what Kohl was about to say was inevitable.

“Is this about what happened three years ago, Leo?”  Leo didn’t answer. “Leo, she didn’t abandon you or your first guild.  She had to save a lot of people, and she wanted the best life for you. She was probably the only player to ever be able to really see true potential in another without using it to their own advantage.  I’m sure she is still out there helping players just like she helped you.”

“She left.  I’ve given up on all of that.”  Leo heard Kohl sigh.

“Whatever man.  I was with you when it went down.  Take some time to think about that woman before you decide to come back.  I’ll see you in a bit,” Kohl said before casting yet another paralysis spell and leaving Leo cursing at the forest’s edge.  It was quite obvious that the spell would only be undone when Kohl’s wish was fulfilled, and Leo honestly saw no use in prolonging the inevitable, so he let his mind wander to the day that started everything.  Day Zero.

_ Leo panted heavily, staring wide eyed at the woman before him decked out in a black and gray coat.  Her sword was still clutched tightly in hand and the remnants of the swarm of poisonous boarwasps that had attacked Leo and his now unconscious companion, Kohl.  The shock of the situation was stifling, and the fact that Kohl had passed out after reading the message in his PM inbox was extremely concerning. _

_ “Hey you, the one not passed out, are you okay?  I think I got here in time, but I want to be sure.  If not, I need to make sure you get healed before you keel over.  We can’t spare any time if you are hurt. I can’t lose anyone else on the first day,” the woman said quietly, still not moving from her crouched position.  Leo didn’t answer. “I need to know you are okay before I do anything else to help you and your friend. Your HP is my first priority.” _

_ “I- I’m fine,” Leo stuttered.  “Who are you? What happened to my friend?  Why are you so worried about my HP? You don’t even know me!” _

_ “You’re about as question filled as the other boy,” the woman mumbled to herself.  “Who I am isn’t important, but you are important. Your friend received a message right before he passed out, right?”  Leo nodded. The woman only glanced over her shoulder and nodded back. “He read the news. We’re stuck here.” _

_ “What do you mean?” _

_ “Never ending questions today,” the woman chuckled.  “Let’s just say that the logout button on the start menu isn’t going to work for a while and there have been some issues with players IRL recently.” _

_ “What do you mean,” Leo asked again.  The woman finally stood up and faced him, and Leo had to say that he wasn’t expecting what he saw.  The woman was beautiful with red-brown hair and dark brown eyes, her featured smooth and even. There was a small clip scar going through her right eyebrow.  He idly wondered why she would allow her avatar to be scarred like that, but he quickly shot down the useless question. “What do you mean?” _

_ “Not important.  Welcome to Land of Shadows, and your new home for a while.  We should get you out of this forest before another monster or demon shows up.  You might even attract some MG attention due to your betta player data. What’s your name?  What about your friend,” the woman asked. _

_ “Why would I tell you?  How do you know all of that about me?  I don’t even know you-” _

_ “T!  It’s time we get out of here!  The two brats are getting restless,” called a voice from the darker shadows in the surrounding forest.  A man and two children appeared in the small clearing, staring intensely at the woman who smiled back at the group softly.  They did nothing to soothe his nerves. “I set them up in the new guild, so all we have to do is get to a safe haven and finish the setup.  It’s dangerous out here.” _

_ “Yeah,” the woman, ‘T’, replied softly.  She turned back to Leo, smiling as Kohl began to open his eyes again.  “So, what’s your name?” _

_ “Why should I-” _

_ “Leo,” Kohl called out, voice clouded in confusion.  The woman laughed softly, the noise startlingly different from her previous chuckling.  It was warmer and less forceful. _

_ “Leo, then.  So Leo, how about you come with us.  You can join my guild. It’ll be safer for now,” the woman said.  Leo shook his head from his place looking up at her from the ground, but was cut off when an arrow shot through the air.  The woman swung her sword, cutting it in half before dropping her sword and, almost impossibly, drew a bow, noosing an arrow and setting it flying.  It hit a goblin square in the chest, causing it to fall from a nearby tree and dissipate into nothing. “You sure?” _

_ “Go with her, Leo,” Kohl said.  And that was the end of it. _

* * *

 

_ “So, how are you enjoying Land of Shadows,” the woman asked.  It had been a month since Day Zero and Leo had begun to get used to the death game that only resembled the game he had beta tested.  Leo looked up at her, playing with the gray and black coat of his Shade Guild uniform. _

_ “Other than the fact that I kind of want to be IRL, it’s okay.  Why do you ask?” The woman looked down for a moment, a soft smile on her face.  It was silent for a few moments, save for the footsteps of guild members. “Why do you ask,” Leo repeated. _

_ “I’m going away for a while, so I wanted to ask something of you,” the woman said quietly.  Leo sat up a little straighter. _

_ “What do you mean you’re going away for a while?  How long? Guildmaster-” _

_ “I’m not the guildmaster, Leo.  I’m not even a member,” she said quietly.  “Leo, I’m going to ask you to do something for me because I trust you to do what’s right.  I’m leaving the guild for a while. My brother is capable of leading the guild. This was the plan all along.  I would set up a safe haven and get it going, then I would leave and start to work on getting us out of this game. _

_ “What is this,” Beji said, jumping to his feet, his calm demeanor gone, replaced by anger, confusion, and desperation.  “How could you leave your own guild? People here rely on you! How is the guild going to continue without its creator? Your brother is a reckless fool!  How could you leave us so easily?” _

_ “Calm down Leo, I’m not going away forever.  This guild will be fine without me, and it’s not like I’ve totally abandoned it or anyone in it.  I just… I’ve never been a good team member so I wouldn’t be a good guild member. I’m finally going to live up to my solo player status and help out around the different servers.  I’ll still help out,” the woman said quietly, looking straight into Leo’s eyes with such intensity that Leo couldn’t help but admire. “That’s not the point.” _

_ “What is your point?  You are leaving all of us alone in a game that not even beta testers can beat when you are our best option.  You are being selfish-” _

_ “Don’t lecture me on being selfish, Leo.  I am doing this for every player in here,” the woman said, her voice sharp.  She took a deep breath. “My point is, there has to be more guilds with good leaders and the goal of keeping everyone safe and healthy both mentally and physically.  I want you to finally live up to all of that potential you have in you and-” _

_ “You want me to help you set up another guild?” _

_ “No, I want you to set up a guild of your own.  You and Kohl have the makings of great leaders, especially you.  You can do great things, and you’re holding yourself back by staying here under Masa’s care.  I am not able to create another guild because I wasn’t even really suited to make Shade, but I know you can do it like no other,” the woman said. _

_ “No, you-” _

_ “Don’t worry, Leo.  I’ll watch out for you and your new guild.  If you ever need me, and I mean truly need me, I’ll be there.” _

“Yeah right, Tarou.  Sure you will.”

* * *

 

“So, who are the strong players that Masa got to come?”  Leo looked exhausted when he walked into the guildmaster’s quarters.  His shoulders sagged and his uniform was in disarray. He was showing off his childish side, no longer the composed and serious 22 year old man he normally was.  He looked anything but the guildmaster of the second strongest guild in Land of Shadows.

“ _ Guildmaster  _ Masa said that it would be someone from the War Paint Assassins.  I figured that they would be a good mentor for our front line battalions if we could get them to tag along when we come back.  Guildmaster Masa said that they were top notch and had news to share about conditions and developments in the game.” Kohl only sent Leo a fleeting glance before looking down at the papers on his desk again.

“What is the conference even about?  Masa hates having company, especially other guilds around his own,” Leo said, flopping down onto a chair in the opposite corner of the main office.  He looked at his own empty desk and sighed.

“ **_Guildmaster_ ** Masa said that there was a new system update coming out that involved a member of the Shade guild.  Some programmer hacked the system and added in some new, and I quote, ‘groundbreaking changes,’ to the system.  He also mentioned talking about the use of system supplied companions, monster raiding plans, and a few things about guild politics and mergers,” Kohl said, running a finger down the length of a sheet of paper.  Leo sighed again.

“Tarou made it seem so interesting when she used to talk about guild conferences,” Leo growled, rubbing his face.  Kohl looked surprised.

“I’m surprised you said her name again after all of this time,” Kohl said quietly before becoming serious again.  “I doubt she actually liked the idea of them, and you have to keep in mind that you and Tarou are two separate people with separate interests that have nothing to do with one another.  She happened to be a natural at negotiation and politics while you are more physical. Either way, I think she would want you to experience at least one of these conferences as she is the one who hosted the first guild conference all those years ago.  She would be furious that you’ve been sending proxies.”

“Yeah, whatever.  Get together a group of representatives for the trip.  We’ll get there early. I think it’s time that I visit Masa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	22. Player Inbox (1) - Amanda Morano

**Sender:** _ Amanda M., CEO of Towa V... _

**Addressed To:** _ Tarou Kagemune _

**Subject:** _ Race Change _

Beta tester Tarou Kagemune,

It has come to my attention that not only have the players admitted before 10:48 a.m. today have been inexplicably, for lack of a better term, trapped in  _ Land of Shadows _ , but that you have also experienced an uncalled for change in race title.  We did discuss the reinstatement of your stats from beta testing, as was discussed with all other beta testers, which you refused, but this was not one of the changes that we discussed.

From my end I cannot access any of your current information other than the originals that you entered upon your re-registration, although I did receive the notice of the changes made by the system.  I do know that you have a background in computer programming, so I do hope that you can fix this problem and/or aid in helping Towa VR Games's Technicians in their efforts to help out players.

Thank you for your help up until this point and I hope to continue our companionable relationship for a long time to come.  I hope you are well and I hope to have all of this solved soon. Keep in touch.

Sincerely,

Amanda M.

CEO of Towa VR Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	23. Player Outbox (1 recent) - Tarou Kagemune

**Sender:** _ Tarou Kagemune _

**Addressed To:** _ Amanda M., CEO of T... _

**Subject:** _ Race Change _

Ms. Amanda,

I do not require any help changing my race as it has not impacted me in any major way.  I have retained all of my chosen race’s traits, and even if I hadn't, it would not have been a problem.  I do not believe that it would be of any benefit to look further into the issue. As for the matter of helping your team, I would be happy to help.  I am already in contact. Thank you. Please continue to be in contact with my company and myself. You are a good friend and ally. I hope this finds you well.

-Tarou Kagemune

Head and CEO of the Kagemune Group

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	24. Chapter 6

_ “The fear of pain is greater than the pain itself…. Push through your fear.” _

_ -Julie Reed _

* * *

 

_**June 28th** _

_**The Town of Grounder** _

_**Shade Tower, Diplomatic Entrance Gate 3** _

 

“Welcome to Shade Tower, Guildmaster Leo and company.  My name is Levi and I have been assigned as your guide for the duration of your stay here.  If there is anything I can help you with, please do tell me and I will do my very best to help,” said a young boy, no older than about sixteen.  Leo glared around at the entrance gate. It hadn’t changed a bit.

“Where is Guildmaster Masa?  Can we meet with him,” Leo asked cooly.  The boy’s expression seemed to soften. He smiled brightly, his face looking even younger than before.

“Guildmaster Masa is in a meeting with a party that recently returned from a field mission.  He told everyone not to disturb him under any circumstance. One of the members is very important,” Levi said quietly.  Leo, who had been glancing around, snapped his attention to the young boy. Sure, he hadn’t seen Masa in years, but he knew the man well enough to know what he would and wouldn’t do.

“Masa said not to disturb him,” he nearly shouted.  “Who is he meeting with? Masa would never deny anyone unless someone was dying on his floor or...”

“Leo,” Kohl called from behind some of the Sun Guild’s guards.  “Are you okay?”

“Is Tarou here?”  The humming of the game’s soundtrack seemed to completely stop and the players froze, not even blinking for a moment.  Levi looked wide eyed at Leo. “Well, is she?”

“How do you know Ms. Tarou?”  Before Levi could finish, Leo was off like a shot.  “Wait!”

* * *

 

“So, I recommend moving Karla into a permanent secretarial position.  Her scribe skills are highly developed, but her druid healing abilities are lacking a bit.  It would be in her best interest to keep her here, not that she wasn’t a key part of the mission.  As for Joey, he is a great strategist with a very well developed mace skill, so maybe putting him in charge of small raids and missions would be a good start for him.  Either that or put him in a council position,” Tarou said, seated across from her brother with the two younger players behind her. She looked thoroughly exhausted.

“Good, but there is another issue I want to discuss with you.  Why did you go on a mission the day you got back, idiot! You said you would rest for a while!”  Masa was fuming in his position, slumped in his chair. He looked more like a sulking child than a guildmaster with his arms crossed and legs wide.  Tarou didn’t answer, but continued to stare unflinchingly at her younger brother. Masa sighed. “Are you prepared for the conference tomorrow? You are the one who requested that it be called.  You do realize that most of the guilds you invited are led by recruits of yours. I know at least a few who hold grudges about being left behind, not that they’re bad-”

“I understand what you’re saying, but I know these leaders.  They are the best people to talk to and tell about what I have to say.  This is why I chose them to open up new safe haven guilds. I wouldn’t choose anyone else.  We all know some of them would just open a raiding guild and get everyone killed,” Tarou said, looking down and picking at her nails, although they couldn’t be dirty or imperfect due to the game’s system.  “If you are talking about Leo, I know what he’ll do. In fact he’s already here.”

“How can you know what he’ll… He’s already here?”  No sooner had Masa said that, that the door was flung open revealing a disheveled young man, with mussed blond hair and wide green eyes in a Sun Guild uniform, panting heavily.  Tarou didn’t turn around, but Masa and the twins who had previously been the topic of discussion, sprung into action. They jumped in front of the seated player, Joey pulling a blade from his belt.  “Guildmaster Benjamin.”

“Tarou,” the other guildmaster said, still panting.  The sound of heavy footfall was fast approaching. “Tarou.  Tarou. Tarou!”

“Guildmaster Benjamin, please calm down.  Keep in mind that the Shade Guild owns rights to this tower and we can blacklist you.  There is no need for such inappropriate behavior,” Karla said smoothly, her ‘secretary mask’ covering up her easy expressions and demeanor from earlier.

“That’s Tarou, isn’t it?  It has to be! That’s her coat!  Tarou,” he shouted. Tarou still didn’t turn around, but she did stand up.  “Tarou!”

“I’m going out again.  I will return before the meeting.  If you really need me, come get me,” Tarou said and Leo strained against Masa and Joey as he tried to get to her.  “Leo should be kept on watch in a dead room until the meeting starts.”

“Tarou!”

“You mean a lot to me, Leo.  Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.”  Tarou disappeared from the room using a small, round object, just as Leo broke through.  Green eyes searched desperately for any hint of the signature black and gray coat, coming up with nothing.  He quickly turned back to the group behind him.

He was met with the sharp blue eyes of the other guildmaster, a glare that could kill… no, the eyes of someone who would.  Leo would never admit it, but his former guildmaster was a scary man, although he always thought that his more mild-mannered sister was far more intimidating.  Masa looked scarier than he had seen him in a long time, not that it had been that long since he had left the guild and Masa behind. Leo cringed.

“I hope you have an explanation, Leo.  This was not even close to the ideal time for you to show up.”

* * *

 

“Do you know where she might have gone,” Karla asked her brother, trying to ignore the shouting match that the two guild masters were having on the other side of the door.  She glanced over at Joey, whose face was dark with worry. “You don’t, do you? She said we would know where to find her, but I honestly have no clue. Who would know with her?”

“The only people who might know would be Hitch, Masa, and maybe Levi because he is one of her favorites.  But honestly, she doesn’t seem like she wants to be found. And when Tarou doesn’t want to be found, she isn’t found.”  Joey looked down at his feet. “She probably picked up another mission. She’s a fool like that.”

“Yeah.”  Karla sighed heavily as something hit the wall on the other side.  “I hope they aren’t being too harsh. Leo is her favorite. I mean, she never said anything, but it’s just her reactions to his name and the way that he was the first one she sent out to set up a guild.  She didn’t even watch over them for that long. He’s got her trust and by the blush on her cheeks, he’s got her.”

“She blushed?  THE Tarou blushed?”  Joey’s eyes widened comically as he span around to face his sister.  He realized what he must’ve looked like and leant back against the wall, scratching the back of his head.  “Gee, Tarou must see something really great in Guildmaster Leo.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what,” Levi said, popping up out of nowhere.  Karla glared at Levi; she had never really liked him and didn’t see what Tarou saw in him.  Joey, on the other hand, must’ve jumped about a foot in the air, both out of surprise and embarrassment at having someone he admired having seen him in such an easy position.  “Hello, Tarou groupie twins. I came to see if Guildmaster Benjamin was dead yet. I truly hope he is!”

“Says the guildmaster’s guide.  What are you really here for, Levi,” Karla asked cooly.  She continued to glare at the smirking boy. 

“Oh, I came to see if Tarou wants to go to the tavern.”

“She ran off a little while ago.  You wouldn’t happen to know where she went, do you,” Joey asked.  He sent a fleeting glance toward his sister, choosing his words very carefully as to not make the situation any worse.  Levi’s smirk grew ten times larger.

“Indeed I do, not that I’ll be telling you.  She’s probably waiting for me now, so I’ll be seeing you around, groupie twins!”  Levi opened up the player menu and transported away, leaving the two siblings alone in the hallway, staring at where he had been moments ago.

“Is that tracker Masa had you place on him still active,” Joey asked quietly, face palming at the devious look on his sister’s face.

“Yeah.  Let’s go find Tarou before she does something that gets her killed.”

* * *

 

Tarou leaned up against the wall of Titan’s Fist, a troublesome murder guild in the town of Quest.  Her hands were soaked in blood, or what should have been blood, but was really just pixels; that didn’t make the pain any less.  There were at least seven players surrounding her, all wearing the same smirk. It was quite obvious who was winning because the blood on her hands was her own.

“What’s a pretty lady like yourself doing here?  And you’re a feisty one, too. I would have thought you were one of those losers who decided to join up with some guy in a ‘marriage’.  But obviously not, since you’re out here,” the leader said, stroking his beard. Tarou grit her teeth. “Oh, did I strike a nerve? Did your hubby get killed?  Or maybe you were shot down?”

“It wasn’t either of those, and like I would tell you if it was.”  Tarou gripped her daggers tighter, flicking her hair over her shoulder.  If she didn’t start fighting soon, this would all be over, and there were things that she couldn’t lose.  It was hard, though. She hadn’t taken a rest in days, not that she really needed to, but the fatigue was hitting her hard now.  This fight wasn’t prompting any adrenaline, and that was what she really needed.

“Woah!  Look at that spirit.  Why don’t you just give up?  We might keep you around for a little while.”  Tarou gripped her daggers even harder than before, the cuts on her hands pouring out blood.  It hit the ground before dissipating.

“I just haven’t started fighting yet,” Tarou spat.  The men laughed.

“Tarou!”  Tarou span around, eyes wide and horrified as she took in the person who called her name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	25. Player Outbox (1 recent) - Tarou Kagemune

**Sender:** _ Tarou Kagemune _

**Addressed To:** _  Amanda M., CEO of T... _

**Subject:** _ The Shade Guild, Safe Haven _

Ms. Amanda,

You should know that I have formed the Shade Guild.  It is a safe haven for all players. I am willing to support them and ensure their safety within it.  Please spread the word.

I will open it internationally.  Language is no border.

Thank you.

-Tarou Kagemune

Head and CEO of the Kagemune Group

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	26. Player Inbox (1) - Amanda Morano, CEO of Towa VR Games

**Sender:** _ Amanda M., CEO of Towa VR... _

**Addressed To:** _  Tarou Kagemune; Towa... _

**Subject:** _ The Shade Guild, Safe Haven _

Ms. Kagemune (and Tech department),

Thank you for your help in the game Tarou.  Short and to the point I see. You are an invaluable help to our team and we thank you.  I will be sure to spread the word and have our techs on it right away. Be careful out there.

-Amanda M.

CEO of Towa VR Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	27. Player Inbox (1) - Towa VR Games, Tech Team

**Sender:** _ Towa Tech Team _

**Addressed To:** _  All Players (All Servers; translatable message) _

**Subject:** _  Emergency and Response _

Dearest Player,

As you may have noticed,  _ Land of Shadows _ has experienced a glitch that has eliminated the ability to log out and has made the game more difficult to handle.  We at Towa VR Games are working tirelessly to fix the bug, but at the moment we are unable to get into the system. We do not, at this time, see a need to panic or worry, but we do ask that you exercise extra caution while in the game and avoid any unnecessary conflicts until we fully understand or fix the problem.

In the meantime, we have a beta tester on the US server who has opened a safe haven guild in the town of Grounder under the name Shade.  The founder, Tarou Kagemune, has full background checks and is available for player support. She has opened server portals to allow international players to join Shade as well, so please, for the time being, if you are concerned and in need of support or a guide who you can trust, move to the US server's town of Grounder and apply to the Shade Guild.

We thank you for your patience and we hope to have all of this sorted out soon.

Sincerely,

Towa VR Games Tech Team

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	28. Natsukashii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the beginning of the third part of "Land of Shadows" - Natsukashii.

**_Japanese adjective_ **

nostalgic, reminiscent of good memories, missed, longed for, yearned after

**_Japanese adjective (archaic)_ **

dear, beloved, cherished, sweet


	29. Chapter 7

_ “Mess with me?  I’ll let karma do its job.  Mess with my family? I become karma.” _

_ -Unknown _

_ “I’m going to smile like nothing is wrong, talk like everything is perfect, act like it’s all a dream, and pretend like it’s not hurting me.” _

_ -Unknown _

* * *

 

**_June 28th_ **

**_The Town of Grounder_ **

**_Shade Tower, Guildmaster Masa’s Quarters_ **

 

“I can’t believe you!  Tarou put so much stock on you being calm and collected and then you do that!  Do you know how hard it was just to invite you? She hated letting you go somewhere that she couldn’t guard, but she did it for you!  And this is how you repay her? She was tired enough and now she’s gone!”

“It’s not my fault!  And why would it be hard?  Why did she leave me if she wanted to protect me?”

“She loves you!  She knew that she couldn’t allow herself to guard you 24/7, so she wanted you to start a group that could!”  Masa paused and looked down, blushing. “Don’t tell Tarou I said that. She’d kill me. It’s supposed to be a secret.”

“If she loved me, she wouldn’t have left me behind!  I don’t need protecting!” A jar of quills went flying and hit the wall beside Leo’s head.  Leo’s eyes went wide.

“You don’t realize how much protecting and guarding she does.  The system updates haven’t been from Land of Shadows’ creators!  She has spent hours creating tools to protect everyone, and she still spent 18 hour days out in the field!  She left you to people who could spend those hours protecting you! Why do you think she sent Kohl with you?  She saw a protective second in command who would do anything for you and would ensure you didn’t end up like her!”  The room went silent as both men panted, eyes angry.

A beeping sound interrupted their stare-down and a notice popped up in front of Masa.  He quickly read through between opening his player menu and equipping his mace. Leo’s anger turned into confusion.

“What are you doing?”

“Levi left the building, which means that Karla and Joey will follow.  They’re looking for my sister, and I’m going to follow and help out because she has most likely done something stupid,” Masa said, checking the clasps of his armor, not that he needed to thanks to the system.  He pulled up the player menu again, but paused and looked back at Leo. “Are you coming?”

* * *

 

Levi and the twins stood shocked, staring at the bloodied and bruised Tarou as she stood in front of a group of seven player killers.  They couldn’t even make a sound, and if they were honest with themselves, they were safer that way. Titan’s Fist was known for their swift and violent ways of killing, and it was clear that they were prepared to show off those skills.  Tarou didn’t seem to know they were there, and it was most likely better that way, as well. She seemed to be struggling without the distraction.

Karla was the first to snap out of it, her breathing coming in short pants.  She stumbled back a bit, not taking her eyes from the stream of blood steadily dripping from Tarou’s wounds.  She opened her mouth a bit wider to scream, only to have a hand placed over her mouth and her back pressed against someone’s chest.  She squeaked and looked up.

“Stay quiet, Karla.  She doesn’t need to know about us,” Masa whispered harshly as he nodded his head to the two boys.  Karla noticed Leo beside her guildmaster and gasped lightly behind Masa’s hand. “Don’t do anything stupid, Leo!”

“Woah!  Look at that spirit.  Why don’t you just give up?  We might keep you around for a little while.”  Tarou gripped her daggers even harder than before, the cuts on her hands pouring out blood.  It hit the ground before dissipating.

“I just haven’t started fighting yet,” Tarou spat, her breathing heavy.  She squinted as some blood ran into her eye. The group of player killers laughed and the leader took a step forward.  The warning Masa had issued to Leo went out the window as Leo stepped forward, drawing his sword.

“Tarou!”  Tarou’s eyes whipped to look at Leo, wide and horrified.  The grip she had on her daggers loosened and she opened her mouth as if to say something.  Nothing came out, but Tarou wasn’t the only one who heard Leo call out, and suddenly all seven of the other guilds’ members were rushing toward the group, Tarou long forgotten.  It was Leo’s turn to look scared. He had fought on the front lines, but Titan’s Fist was off limits for the Sun Guild, their levels too low to handle the onslaught of murderous players.

“Tarou!”  This time it was Masa who called out, gathering Joey and Karla to his chest and turning away to protect them.  Levi stood completely still, just a few paces away. Tarou didn’t spare any time, not wasting the time to have the system assist activate.  She sprinted forward, launching herself over the offending players and in front of her allies, dropping her daggers as two swords materialized in their place.  She stood in a defensive stance in front of the party of five. The group slowed their sprint, unsure of what they had missed between conversation they had been having with the woman moments before, with daggers held firm, to the oncoming fight with that same woman several paces away with long swords.

“Wait… Tarou?”  The leader stopped, slowing his run until he stood a few feet away.  “As in Tarou, the founder of the Shade?”

“Oh, are you afraid of her,” Levi hissed snidely.  The other player killers had stopped behind their leader, but they were not above raising their weapons again.  “Sorry. Sorry.”

“We simply have heard of this ‘Tarou’ and his strength, but it turns out that he’s a she.  Never would have seen that coming,” the leader said, a smirk growing on his face.

“Is that a problem?”  Tarou’s gaze was like fire, searing and intense.  The leader’s smirk grew wider as he shook his head.

“No, no.  Of course not, you just had me thinking.  A moment ago, we had you bleeding and panting, so close to death, and yet you are somehow this great player and leader.  I heard you were one of the causes for the haven guilds. What a let down,” the man snorted. “Oh, how wrong I was. Of course our guild would be stronger than some goody-two-shoes who's never killed before.”

“But, I have,” Tarou said, not breaking her stance.  “I just don’t go looking to do it, and I never do it for selfish reasons like you do.  Now, are we going to fight or are you going to do what’s right and walk away?”

“Tarou,” Leo whispered, but Masa shook his head.

“Let her do this,” Masa said, glancing over his shoulder, still shielding the two twins.  Karla was sobbing into her guildmaster’s chest, and Joey was trying to peer over his shoulder, but failing in the process.  “She’s got the upper hand now.”

“But, she’s bleeding.”

“That’s just the system.  She may look half dead, but with us here, she’ll win for sure.”  There was no pause between the end of Masa’s statement and the move of the leader of the enemy.  The leader flung himself forward, the others following suit. 

The battle was over nearly as quickly as it started.  Before they got even close to the group, Tarou had jumped forward, left hand sword piercing the leader's side as she flipped herself over his shoulder, tearing her blade free.  It took half of a motion to land a slash along the stomachs of the others with her right and paralysis set in due to the shock of the situation. Tarou landed gracefully on her right foot behind them all, spinning on the ball of her foot.  Her face was blank as she watched the players drop.

“Y-you-”

“There have been many names for me, so what you’re about to say isn’t as creative or hurtful as you think it will be,” Tarou said, walking toward the leader who spluttered and gasped for breath.  Masa was busy tugging Levi and the twins away, Leo staring at the scene before him in awesome terror. Tarou knelt down beside the leader. “The wound isn’t fatal, so don’t worry. I don’t kill without a reason, and there is no reason to now.  You will be taken back to Shade Tower where you will either be held or join. Either way, system limitations will be placed on your player to ensure you don’t kill again.”

“What are you,” one of the others asked, holding their stomachs as ‘blood’ seeped onto the ground.  Tarou looked at him blankly, but reality was clearly hitting her as her eyes looked less cold and more uncertain than they had before.  She looked away.

“Masa, can you call for a team to pick these men up?”  Masa nodded, opening his player menu and whispering for the twins and Levi to do the same.  They quickly transported away, leaving a shocked Leo, seven groaning player killers, and Tarou alone next to the Titan’s Fist guild hall.  Tarou didn’t look at Leo. “This is why I sent you away, Benjamin. I have this thing that makes me want to protect you, and in the end, it’ll get us all killed.”

“What just happened, Tarou,” Leo asked, stunned.  Tarou still didn’t look at him. 

“I already answered that,” she said softly just as Masa warped back into the alleyway they were in.  Tarou stood up, turning away from Leo. “Masa, take him back to his room. I’m going home, so don’t bother me.  I’ll be back in the morning to start the meeting. I’ll see you at 10.”

“Okay,” Masa said.  Leo rushed forward toward Tarou, but it was too late.  She had disappeared from her spot, leaving nothing behind to signify her ever being there in that place.  Masa huffed, looking around at the scene of guild soldiers gathering the enemies who struggled but were careful not to lose anymore HP.  “Leo, go back to the tower. Levi will bring you to the rest of your guild’s quarters.”

“But… Where does Tarou stay in Shade Tower?  I have to talk to her,” Leo said.

“She hasn’t lived in Shade Tower for a long time now,” Masa says, walking toward the rest of the group as soldiers finished subduing the murder guild members.  “She hasn’t since you left, Leo. I hope you realize she did a lot for and because of you. Now, go back, Guildmaster Benjamin.”

* * *

 

Tarou sat on the edge of her bed, her player stats displayed before her.  She sighed tiredly, dragging a hand over her face.

“Not strong enough,” she murmured.  “If I don’t get better soon, I’ll let everyone down.  Then we’ll all be dead.” She closed the menu and fell back onto her bed, staring at the wooden ceiling of her room.  She winced and rubbed a hand over her chest as a sharp pain lanced through her. “Damn it all!”

A knock sounded at the door, but Tarou made no move to answer it.  The pain wasn’t passing like it had before. The knock sounded at the door again, this time heavier than before.  Tarou groaned, but made no move to answer it yet again.

“Tarou,” someone shouted from the door.  Tarou still didn’t move to get up, but she pulled her menu and disarmed the lock on her apartment.  The door swung open and Hitch rushed in. His eyes were hard as he sat on the bed beside her, leaning over to pat her cheek as she paled.  “How is it? I got a notice that you headed home without stopping back. Are you stupid?”

“Probably,” she responded, pressing her chest a bit harder as she paled a bit more.

“But that’s what’s kept you alive, I guess.”

“Not feeling so alive right now, Hitch,” she hissed.  The damned pain was consuming all of her thoughts and she felt faint.  The room was feeling colder and colder and her head was pounding. “If this is it, Hitch, I want you to-”

“You’re fine!  None of that,” Hitch said, cutting Tarou off.  “Now, on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the worst pain ever and once being a pin prick, how bad is it right now,” Hitch asked, opening his menu and summoning a bucket of water and some towels.  Tarou groaned.

“An 11,” Tarou said before stilling.  “You haven’t told anyone have you?”

“No, but I think you should.”

“I will eventually, but I have work that needs to be done here first,” Tarou said before her world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	30. Player Inbox - In-Game Messages (1) - Masa Kagemune

**Sender:** _  Masa Kagemune, Guildmaster... _

**Addressed To:**  Kohl;  _ Leo, Guildmaster... _

**Subject:** _  Council Meeting, Urgent _

Guildmaster Leo (and Kohl since I know Leo will see my name and the word "council" and delete this),

I am asking you to attend the upcoming council meeting.  There is no starting date, but we ask that you arrive by the 29th of June through the Diplomatic Gate.  There is a lot to talk about and someone very special is coming to talk about matters in the game. I think you have some interest in that.

Please come.  I want to make it easy for all of us.

-Masa

The hottest guildmaster of all, Shade Guild

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	31. Chapter 8

_ “Match her effort, respect her hustle, support her ambition, protect her heart, value her loyalty, uplift her spirit, love her unconditionally.” _

_ -Unknown _

* * *

 

**_June 29th_ **

**_The Town of Grounder_ **

**_Shade Tower, Council Meeting Quarters_ **

 

“She’s late, Hitch,” Masa growled, leaning back in his chair at the council meeting table.  The chatter going on around them was unignorable and Masa rubbed at his temples as if he was dealing with a headache.  “Did she come to get a new mission? Is she gone again? She isn’t answering her messages and it’s way past time for her to be getting here.”

“No, Guildmaster Masa.  She hasn’t gone out on any mission for the Shade Guild or any of those in the alliance, and there has been no notifications coming in regarding her name.  She was tired when I last saw her, so maybe she just overslept.” Hitch looked less than certain, standing a foot or two behind Masa, but Masa didn’t notice, opening his messages and scanning through them again, skipping over the ones from merchant guilds in town and staring the ones regarding diplomatic relations and mission notices.

“Where is she,” Leo hissed from his position in his chair on Masa’s left side.  Masa didn’t respond in favor of sending another message to his sister. “I asked where she was!  You didn’t tell me where she lives, other than it not being in Shade Tower. I respected that, but I was promised to be able to at least see her at this meeting!  What is going on?”

“There was no such promise made, Guildmaster Benjamin.  Now, if you wait a few more moments, I’m sure she’ll show up,” Joey said, leaning back in his own seat to Masa’s right.  His sister stood between Masa and Joey, nodding with a look to the angry guildmaster. She worried her lip. “Tarou promised she would be here.  It’s her meeting. I promise she’ll show up soon.”

Just as Joey finished, the door to the meeting room swung open.  At first, there was no one in sight, save for a system generated companion.  Masa whispered “KoTarou” under his breath and exited out of his menu, standing and brushing off his uniform.  His sister appeared next to her German shepherd not long after, patting him on the head before straightening out her own coat.  Masa frowned at how pale she looked, and Hitch rushed to her side, taking the swords and quiver of arrows from her before allowing Tarou to keep her bow after arguing about it for a while.

“I am very sorry that I’m so late, guys!  I overslept and… You know what? It’s not important.”  She rushed over to take the chair that Joey had saved for her.  “Welcome to Shade Tower, guild masters of the alliance! It’s good to see you all!”

“Are you okay, Tarou?  You’re acting weird,” Karla asked quietly.  Tarou nodded and replaced the stupid grin on her face with one of sincerity.  She became deadly serious.

“Masa, if you would.”  It was silent for a moment, tense as the guildmaster gazed at his sister, but he sighed and resigned himself to his duties.

“Welcome to Shade Tower in the town of Grounder, home of the Shade Guild, head guild and founder of the alliance.  My name is Masa Kagemune, guildmaster of the Shade Guild and supervisor of the alliance’s MG missions on the U.S. server of Land of Shadows.  I would like to begin this meeting, called by Shade Guild founder and solo player representative, my sister, Tarou Kagemune, with guild introductions and then we will continue with the proceedings.”  The hall became silent as they stared at the hosting guild’s master before he turned his eyes to Leo, who stood up from his seat.

“Attending representatives from the Sun Guild.  My name is Benjamin, guildmaster and founder of the Sun Guild in the town of Montoya.  I am here as the second member of the alliance of 8 guilds and supervisor of the monster brigade on the U.S. server of Land of Shadows.”  Benjamin nodded to Masa before sitting down as another guildmaster stood.

“Attending representatives of the Black Coat Guild.  My name is Kyle, guildmaster and founder of the Black Coat Guild in the town of Rockwell.  I am here as a third member of the 8 guild alliance and supervisor of the front lines on the U.S. server of Land of Shadows.”

“Attending representatives of the Raven Guild.  My name is Annabeth, co-guildmaster and founder of the Raven Guild in the city of Embers.  I am here as one of the two fourth members of the 8 guild alliance and am the second general supervising the public safety committees on the U.S. server of Land of Shadows.”

“Attending representatives of the Raven Guild.  My name is Noah, co-guildmaster and founder of the Raven guild in the city of Embers.  I am here as one of the two fourth members of the 8 guild alliance and am the first general supervising the public safety committees on the U.S. server of Land of Shadows.”

“Attending representatives of the Felix Guild.  My name is Cross, guildmaster and founder of the Felix Guild in the town of Terras.  I am here as the fifth member of the 8 guild alliance and am the supervising officer of the quest control committees on the U.S. server of Land of Shadows.”

“Attending representatives of the Autumn Guild.  My name is Lancer, guildmaster and founder of the Autumn Guild in the town of Constellation.  I am here as sixth member of the 8 guild alliance and am the supervisor of the Medical Corp on the U.S. server of Land of Shadows.”

“Attending representative of the Nightingale Guild.  My name is Frost, guildmaster and founder of the Nightingale Guild in the city of Kale.  I am here as the seventh member of the 8 guild alliance and am the supervisor of the Forgers Corp on the U.S. server of Land of Shadows.”

“Attending representative of the Blade Guild.  My name is Caden, guildmaster and founder of the Blade Guild in the city of Aero.  I am here as the eighth and final member of the 8 guild alliance and am the supervising officer of the Civilians’ Emotional Health Corp on the U.S. server of Land of Shadows.

“I am Tarou Kagemune, representative of Land of Shadows solo players on the U.S. server and the player who called this meeting of the 8 guild alliance on the U.S. server.  Welcome to Shade Tower,” Tarou said from her seat, looking around at the other guild masters, all handpicked by Tarou herself. She smiled and rubbed her fist over her cheeks to color them.

“Tarou, are you okay,” Masa whispered to his sister.  She nodded with a bright smile which only furthered her brother’s concern, but he made no move to question her again as it would be futile.  “Okay then,” he whispered to himself before looking up again. “Well then, with that out of the way, I will hand over the stage to Tarou and we will begin this meeting.”

“What is this all about,” asked Caden, the black-haired guildmaster of the Blade Guild.  “It’s not that I’m not glad to see you, Tarou. I mean, you are the reason my guild exists, but I have a ton of important matters that I actually know about.  This was a vague invitation. I didn’t even really know that it would be you, but I took a chance. If this is just some stupid-”

“I’ve found a way to contact the outside world.”  Tarou’s voice rang clear, her previously bright tone gone and replaced by her signature serious mask.  The room went dead still. It was questionable if anyone was even breathing as her voice resonated through the hall.  Caden, who had risen during his little speech stood stock still, eyes wide and mouth agape.

“You what,” Masa asked loudly, the silence shattering.  He turned to look at his sister who still sat in her chair.  He sprang up and turned, grabbing her shoulders and gripping firmly.  “Tarou! You what?”

“She said she contacted the outside world.  She was able to break through,” Hitch said from his position behind his guildmaster.  He said it nonchalantly, as if it was obvious, paying no mind to the other representatives, those visiting guild masters and their party of representatives standing behind them.

“Impossible,” Caden shouted, breaking through the shadow of shock.  “We’ve been stuck here for how long? We would have figured it out before now!  And it would have been one of the programmers in the Syntax Sub Guild! Not some solo playing woman with a tendency to play hero one moment, villain the next, and then finish off by abandoning everyone who relied on her!”

“That’s enough, Caden!”  Tarou stood from her seat, eyes blazing.  “And you had asked why you were the last man I approached about starting a guild.  You have such little faith in others, and such a bleak outlook on life! I did it for you, you idiot!  I did it for all of you!”

“Tarou,” Hitch growled as Tarou fell back into her chair, a hand raising to her chest as pain flashed through her eyes, not that anyone was paying enough attention to catch it, not even Masa.  “Watch it!”

“I set up a video link to Towa VRGames and the Coraline Institute for VR Victims where all U.S. players are being monitored, including me.  The link was stable enough for me to give them updates and develop new system updates that include text messages to be sent to family, other gamers on all servers, Towa, and doctors and nurses at all of the VR victim institutes for updates and information on health matters.”  Tarou stayed completely serious, unflinching in the face of the whispers that erupted in the room.

“Tarou,” Masa called, “Did you contact Makoto?”

“He said he would save you a little sukiyaki for when we got back and said to make sure that the medical bills don’t postpone our visit to the rest of the family.”

“Oh my god,” Masa said, falling into his chair.  “Oh my god! You really did…”

“Tarou?”  The whispers continued to ring throughout the hall, nobody looked at Tarou, not even her brother.  Hitch rushed over to her, noting the way she had begun shaking. He knelt down beside her. “Tarou, what’s wrong?”

“Hitch, get me out of here and try to get through to Coraline.  Something’s wrong.” Without another word, Tarou fell out of her chair onto the ground, her avatar flickering.

“Tarou!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	32. Player Inbox (1) - Porter Maxim, M.D., Coraline...

**Sender:** _  Porter Maxim, M.D., Coraline... _

**Addressed to:** _ Tarou Kagemune; Hitch _

**Subject:** _ Caution: Tarou's Health _

Tarou (and as I have seen it best to advise you, Hitch),

As my only patient that I am allowed close contact with, I can easily say that I must advise you to be careful while out in the field.  While this is good advice for all of you in the game, it is very important for you especially. You have a lot of pressure riding on you.

You seem to be declining rapidly, although you are very strong.  I don't want to see you this way. I cannot disclose too much over indirect message as it is not 100% secure, but please know that it is in your best interest to take a step back for the time being.  I do know what role you play, but it is because I know that I must ask you to think of yourself.

I have come to care about you.  Please work out everything soon.  Best wishes.

Sincerely,

Porter Maxim, M.D.

Cardiac Unit

Coraline Hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	33. Chapter 9

_ “No matter how many times I break down, there is always a little piece of me that says, ‘NO, you’re not done yet!  Get back up!” _

_ -Unknown _

* * *

 

**_July 1_ **

**_The town of Grounder_ **

**_Shade Tower, Med Bay_ **

 

“What’s wrong with her,” Masa said, pacing in the hall outside of Tarou’s private room in Shade Tower’s medical bay.  Hitch sat in a chair on the opposite side of the hall. He didn’t say a word. “Hitch! My sister has been comatosed for almost two days and it was you who she called before she became that way!  Her avatar started to disappear!”

“I can’t tell you that.  She didn’t want me to tell you before, and she hasn’t given me permission to now.”  Hitch seemed calm, but the constant tapping of her foot said otherwise. Masa growled under his breath.

“So you do know something!  And you contacted someone after she passed out!  You not only knew about this, but you knew who and how to contact someone!  Why did she choose you? Why did-” Masa let out a shuddering breath, “Why did she choose you over me?  Why?” He slid down the wall next to Hitch. “Why?”

“She didn’t want to hurt you, but she needed someone who would be able to do something if anything happened.”  It was silent for a moment and Hitch sighed. “She’s not doing good, Masa, but she’s good enough to survive in this world.  Honestly, this game is saving her. If she was in the real world right now, she’d be going insane. She just wanted to be normal for a little while longer.”

“Is she dying, Hitch,” Masa asked.  Hitch was silent. “Oh god, my sister is dying.”

“It’s okay.  Tarou is too good to die,” Hitch said.  “She’s got everyone here and at home to look out for.  I think she’d be pissed if she heard this conversation… almost as pissed as Leo when we told him he couldn’t enter the med bay.”

“Tarou is dying and I didn’t know.  I’m a horrible younger brother.”

“Shut up, Masa.  She’s a fighter. She’s not dying anytime soon.”

“Hey Hitch?”

“Yeah?”

“I know you won’t tell me what, but for how long?”

“Unofficially, two and a half years.  She was diagnosed by a medical doctor in the real world for about a year and a half ago.  She found out on her first call to Coraline about six months ago. The docs think it had been going on for a bit before that.”  Masa nodded, dropping his head into his arms.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

* * *

 

“She’s awake.”  The druid nurse broke the silence in the med bay halls.  Masa popped up from his spot on the floor, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  It took him a moment to recognise the fact that Hitch was no longer in the chair and that the soft rumble of Hitch’s voice in the room across from him.  The door was open and he could see his sister’s grim face as she spoke to Hitch.

“Tarou!”  The conversation stopped as Masa ran into the room.  Tarou smiled at him, but when she saw the tears in her brother’s eyes, the smile dropped like a lead weight.  “Tarou, you idiot!”

“You told him,” she asked angrily.

“No, only that you’re sick.  It was kind of unavoidable.”

“Tarou!”  Masa fell to his knees as he began to sob.  “You- you big idiot! You better tell me what’s really going on right now or… or I’ll… I’ll never forgive you.”

“Quiet down Masa, you’ll wake the neighbors.  This is technically a hospital.”

“Don’t joke with me Tarou!  Tell me now!” Tarou listened to her brother’s sobs for a few moments, breathing steadily even though the pain in her chest was nearly unbearable.  “Tarou, please!”

Tarou saw no way out of telling him, and she didn’t want to sugar coat it and make it worse for him.  She took a deep breath.

“I’m in heart failure, Masa.”  Masa’s sobs stopped suddenly before they started anew.  “I had a heart attack in the real world about two and a half years ago and the damage was really bad.  They put me on the transplant list. It’s terminal unless I get a heart soon, but I’m strong. I’ll get through it.  The doctor says that it could be five years before it goes south.”

“Tarou, you’re dying!”

“That may be true, but you’ve known me for how long?  You think I’ll keel over without a fight. Don’t you worry, Masa.  I made a promise to you and to Makoto when mom and dad died. I’ll never leave you, you’re stuck with me,” Tarou said softly, reaching to brush away some of her brother’s tears.  “Stop sobbing you overgrown baby!”

“Tarou,” Hitch called, a look of question on his face.  

“Go give the news.  There’s nothing to hide anymore,” Tarou whispered.

* * *

 

Leo stood with his eyes wide at the front of the crowd.  The news was still ringing in his ears and the rest of the room seemed to have disappeared.  He could vaguely hear the shouts of other guild masters and the members of the Shade Guild as they voiced their opinions on the situation.  Hitch stood on the public stage with a stern expression, not that it ever changed.

“What,” Leo asked loudly and the entire courtyard went dead silent.  “This is some kind of sick joke right? It has to be.”

“Heart failure?  Is that even possible?”

“Yeah, and she was such a good player too, one of the best.”

“You think she’ll keep playing like this?”

“Probably not.  She’s probably all talk about not fearing death.  She’s probably too scared to risk it.”

“Yeah, all the raiding and hunting and guarding is not good for the heart.  Plus, all that traveling she does between servers probably isn’t good for her.  I bet Guildmaster Masa won’t let her out of med bay ever again.”

“What’re we gonna do?  She’s our Ace!”

“What about that news about her being the update designer?  They’ve been saving lives. If she dies, what’ll happen?”

“Stop it.”

“Yeah, we’re all royally screwed if she’s put out of commission by this.”

“Stop it.”

“I wish that she wasn’t our Ace.  It would be easier if she was just some player, but of course she isn’t.  I wonder if she was really just a weakling playing hero.”

“Stop it!”  The courtyard went silent again as Leo shouted over the whispers.  Hitch stood on the stage, his expression never changing, and that really bothered Leo.  He clenched his fists. “She is our Ace! The strongest player in the game and here we are, wishing it was someone else!  How could you all say such things? You are the only thing that she protects! She doesn’t even care about her own life because she’s too busy trying too busy worrying about us!  Why do you think this might have happened? She had a damn heart attack! That doesn’t happen to healthy, low-stress twenty-one year olds! She probably stressed over us so much she had a damn heart attack!  This isn’t just a game anymore! It isn’t and here we are talking about her as if she were some A.I.! As if she were just dust…”

“Guildmaster Benjamin-”

“As if she were nothing!  It’s our fault!”

“Leo!”  Leo stopped his shouting as someone grabbed him by the shoulders.  He knew who it was. Masa dragged him away and Leo could tell Hitch wasn’t far behind.  The noise of the crowd picked up again as the party escaped into the corridor marked ‘MEDICAL BAY ENTRANCE’ and continued on.  “I have to say you’re an idiot, but Tarou saw  something good in you and it’s undeniable.”

“Where are we going?”

“Tarou wants to see you.  You’re lucky. She’s the first one she asked for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	34. Player Inbox (1) - Porter Maxim, M.D., Coraline...

**Sender:** _  Porter Maxim, M.D., Coraline... _

**Addressed To:** _ Tarou Kagemune; Hitch _

**Subject:** _ Health _

Tarou (and Hitch),

I told you to be careful.  I am not contacting you as your physician right now.  I did that before but you never listen. You're lucky Hitch is around to look out for you Tarou.  You need to do something to relieve stress. Secrets are bad for you. Working alone is bad for you.  Stop! I dropped my prim and propped act just for you, so listen to me. Clean your act up or you'll be pixels over there and your little brother, who is barely holding everything in the real world together, is going to fall to ruin.

-Porter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	35. Player Outbox (1 recent) - Tarou Kagemune

**Sender:** _ Tarou Kagemune _

**Addressed To:** _  Porter Maxim, M.D., C... _

**Subject:** _ Health _

Porter,

As if I don't already know.  Keep it real, Port.

-Tarou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	36. Chapter 10

_ “Ain’t no rest for the wicked until we close our eyes for good.” _

_ -Unknown _

* * *

 

**_July 4_ **

**_The Town of Grounder_ **

**_Shade Tower, Med Bay_ **

 

Tarou sat in her bed in the medical bay, staring at the master console she had created for herself.  The game information for the new update releasing the new contact access was displayed perfectly before her.  She smiled.

“I never thought it would be this hard to be ‘okay,’ but here we are,” she mumbled to herself.  The ache in her chest was horrible and she vaguely considered contacting her doctor before the others returned.  It wasn’t a bad idea because, if she was correct, they wouldn’t like what the doctor would say. “It’s all coming to an end, but I’m glad I had a good run.”

“You’re not dead yet, Tarou.  I don’t think we’d let you die either,” Hitch said, leaning against the door frame.  Tarou glanced away from the code to look at Hitch before looking back down. “Masa is talking to Leo.  Probably about not stressing you out.”

“Yeah.”  Tarou sighed.  “Hey Hitch, you aren’t going to like it, but I want you to promise me something, no matter what.”

“Sure.  You put your faith in me this far, so why not lean on me a bit more.  I’ll promise you anything.”

“If I die, and that is an if, I want you to go into my apartment and find a small gift boy.  There’s a button in it with a code. It has information on dark players and an imperfect immortality spell set for all players.  I don’t want to press it now because it is so imperfect, but it isn’t deadly, but I figured it would be a good parting gift.”

“An immortality spell,” Hitch said.  “Why not release it now?”

“Because… it would hurt them to know what it cost.  This world comes at a cost, and so does that spell.”

“In other words, you placed the take on your heart… or rather, your life,” Hitch said, his voice quieter than before.  “How the hell did you do that? Scratch that. Why?”

“Hitch, one life is better than all, but there are flaws that I couldn’t fix.  How I did it isn’t important, but at the very least it provides extra armor if I’m not around.  It’s already selfish that I’m not releasing it now, but I-”

“Idiot-”

“Tarou,” Masa said, coming up behind Hitch with his hand firmly gripping Leo’s shoulder.  Tarou replaced her serious look with a light smile. Leo nodded in greeting, concern obvious on his face as he observed how weak Tarou looked.  Masa smiled back, but it looked forced. “Are we ready now? I got Leo for you.”

“Yeah.  I wanted everyone I love to be here, minus the younger ones,” Tarou said, exiting out of the master console and pulling up a screen-like holographic, the name ‘RLink’ popping up.  “Original name for it, right,” Tarou asked, trying to lighten the mood. The others chuckled quietly.

Tarou scrolled through the main menu on the side, reaching ‘favorites’ and tapping on the name ‘Coraline Cardiac Unit’ as the others observed with interest, minus Hitch who had already known about the video link long before as he had helped keep it out of the public eye in order to not get any player’s hopes up.  The link began, a charcoal gray screen popping up with ‘loading.’

“Hello, Miss Kagemune,” said a rough male voice seconds before a young man’s face popped up on the screen.  “I was expecting you to call, but maybe not with so many people. Did you clear this with Towa? Why am I asking that at a time like this?”

“Good afternoon, Porter.  Or is it already evening over there,” Tarou said quietly.

“It’s around 9 o’clock around here, but that’s not what you called about is it?”

“No.  I called about my health.  I passed out after I announced the new RLink and I was told that my avatar faltered.  I wanted to know what was happening over in Coraline,” Tarou said.

“Yeah, what’s the deal,” Masa asked.  Hitch and Leo remained silent.

“I’m sorry for my brother.  Dr. Porter Maxim, meet my brother, Masa.  The two over there are Benjamin and Hitch,” Tarou said, sending a glare to her brother.  “You have my permission to speak freely about my health in front of them. Don’t sugar coat anything either, Porter.”

“Whatever you say,” Porter said, rolling his eyes before turning away from the camera and shuffling some things around.  “I must say, Masa, you look much more handsome in game than out. You look a bit… dead right now,” he said as he searched for whatever it was he was looking for.  Masa made a sound just as Porter pulled up a paper and ran his finger along the edge, humming. “You had a heart attack two days ago, your brain technically died and you were legally dead for about ten seconds.  You, or your body, is currently being put through an EKG to check out any further damage.”

“Forecasting?”  Tarou was sure to ignore her brother who had tensed up and opened his mouth to say something.

“Your life expectancy may have been cut in half.  You’re being moved up on the transplant list due to the severity and what is riding on your shoulders… or more, the lives that are riding on your shoulders,” Porter said, looking down at what must have been Tarou’s chart.

“I don’t want to be pushed up just because of who I am.  I can almost guarantee that the others can finish what I’ve started.”

“Makoto said you would say that.  Poor kid hasn’t left the hospital for months.  We finally broke down and got you and Masa a private room with an extra bed so he wouldn’t be so uncomfortable.  The kid was happy about having his own bathroom and shower. Too bad he was in the room when you…”

“Is he okay,” Masa asked quietly.  The other two men still hadn’t spoken.

“Towa is fully supporting all patients, so your medical bills are covered.  Along with that, Tarou made a deal that covered all living costs for Makoto and provides steady income for working to fix the game from the inside.  She’s doing great and is a great individual to be accepting all of this even with her health.”

“They haven’t been able to access the game from the outside yet, so I just decided to help out.  It’s really nothing special,” Tarou replied. Porter chuckled.

“It’s more than others have done.  But you really should be careful. Your brain waves indicate extreme stress and it’s putting a strain on your heart.”

“Should we pull her from the field,” Leo asked stepping forward a bit.  Hitch didn’t move, but Masa nodded, his gaze flickering briefly from the doctor to the other man.  “You said it’s straining her heart. Maybe it would be best to put her on bed rest or make her do office work.”

“That wouldn’t work,” Porter said.  “I wish it would, but you kind of need her out there, and it isn’t good for her mentality if you were to stop her.  From what Tarou has told me, I think she’s the only one of her kind, and from what she knows about that, she might as well be the only key in existence in that game.”

“What the hell does that mean,” the three men asked in sync.  The doctor laughs half heartedly.

“So, you haven’t told anyone at all yet?”

“They don’t even know my level.”

“You sure do like secrets, but I don’t think that this is the time to be keeping them, Tarou,” Porter said softly.  “They may be adding to the stress and that can’t be good. You’re a valuable one, Tarou. No one else like you.”

“Whatever, Porter.  I gotta go. I have a few messages from Towa asking about when I’m releasing the new update.  When do you want to talk to me again?”

“I would like to talk to both you and your brothers within the next 48 hours to talk about a plan of action and about your wishes if the need arises,” Porter said.

“Can’t get anymore of a vegetable than I already am,” Tarou said with a light smile.  “I’ll contact you soon. Watch out for Makoto for me! Make sure he’s attending school or at least getting his work.”

“Always.”  The link went dead and the room was silent for a few moments.  The quiet breathing of the inhabitants was the only thing audible other than the soft thrum of the soundtrack outside of Shade Tower.

“Tarou,” Leo started.

“I’m hungry.  Let’s order some food,” Tarou said.  She glanced at Leo and Masa, Hitch having moved to a chair in the shadows that skirted the room.  She sighed, something she had been doing a lot of lately. “Listen. I’ll tell you all what’s going on, but I want a meal with just the four of us, like in the old days before anything else changes.  I also want your word that none of what is said will get out.”

“Whatever you want, Tarou,” Masa said.

“Okay, I want pizza.”

“Coming right up.”

* * *

 

“It’s times like this that I love the system’s recreation abilities,” Tarou mumbled around a slice of pizza made by the Shade Guild’s culinary druids.  She munched happily at her third slice as the men in the room finished their first slices. The room was uncomfortable, the eyes of Leo the most piercing of them all as they waited for the meal to be finished.  “This would go faster if you weren’t all so tense. And Leo, you need to stop staring at me like that. You need to let me enjoy this.”

“If this were the real world, you wouldn’t be allowed to eat pizza with that bum ticker of yours,” Hitch pointed out, reaching for seconds.  Tarou hummed happily, continuing to munch away happily. “So maybe it isn’t such a bad thing that we’re all stuck in this hell.”

“Yeah, but if we weren’t, you two wouldn’t be stuck with me as a deadweight.  Sorry brother, but you’d still be stuck with me.”

“Pretty sure that you are less of a dead weight than any of the other players even with this situation.  You’re the one being weighed down by us Tarou.” Leo slowly reached for another slice as well. “I think Masa is perfectly fine with dealing with you, too.  You’re his sister after all. Right Masa,” Leo said, voice edging on chipper although it was forced.

“Yeah,” Masa said, placing his half-eaten slice back onto the tray it had come in on.  He leaned back in his chair, but his gaze was anything but relaxed. Tarou ignored him in favor of finishing her pizza before she leaned back onto the wall behind her bed.  “Tarou-”

“Level 483,” Tarou said abruptly.  Masa cut off what he was saying and Leo choked on his slice of pizza.  Hitch sat forward in his chair, eyebrows raised, the only sign that he was surprised.

“What,” Masa asked as Leo continued to cough.

“Player level 983.  Ace on all servers.”  Leo continued to try to get the blockage out of his throat and Hitch leaned over to pat on his back.  “I reached level 300 for about a year and a half into the game. That was when I started searching for the rest of my race.  I figured it was some sort of superiority trait in the race’s programming. I figured that my race could figure it out.”

“What’s your race then?  What are you, Tarou?”

“I figure that it could be something my race could figure out because the higher your level, the safer and more invincible you are.  I figured-”

“Tarou,” Leo whispered, finally calming down, “What are you?”

“I’m the only one.  I’m all alone here and I don’t know why.”  Tarou slumped against the wall, head falling and hair covering her face.  “I- I’m the only one like this.”

“Tarou-”

“I wanted to be a sorceress, but when I clicked it and continued into Land of Shadows… I’m the only one on all of the servers like this.  What kind of joke is that? I mean sure, I feel special and I’m supposedly powerful, but what is that good for?

“I’m a Shadow Keeper.”

* * *

 

Joey sat on his bed in Shade Tower’s fiftieth  residential floor. His sister sat on a chair in the far corner of his room, hunched over with her head in her hands.  If it weren’t for the shaking of her shoulders, nobody would have guessed that she was anything but calm. Joey looked at her for a moment before looking away and flopping back on the bed, arms pillowing his head, and eyes closed.  He just sat there for a few moments, taking a few deep breaths.

“She’s gonna die Joey.  Tarou-”

“She’s Tarou, Karla.  Tarou doesn’t die. She’ll be fine,” Joey said, not opening his eyes.  He wasn’t quite sure if he could believe himself, but he did know Tarou quite well, and she would kill him for making the situation any worse.  “We’ll get her into a safer situation and we’ll make sure she works hard on getting us all out of here without stressing too much-”

“How can you worry about that at a time like this, you stupid idiot,” Karla cried, looking up at her brother with bloodshot eyes and a tearstained face.  “Tarou is the one who’s gotten us this far! She’s saved countless lives and has made this game safer than anything! And now that she’s dying, all you can think about is her getting us out of here?  If you want to take that approach, then we should be focused on her health and getting her better! Stop being so self centered!”

“Tarou wants to get us out!  I’m not being self centered! She would be furious if we didn’t stay focused on getting out of here,” Joey shouted at his sister before going silent.  “She wouldn’t be happy if we pushed that goal aside just because of her. She wouldn’t forgive us. I want to focus on her more than anything, Karla. She’s the one who save me and, more importantly, you.  She’s done everything for all of the players on all of the servers. I love Tarou like a sister and she’s one of my best friends, but I need to not think about how bad this is right now. I need to pretend that everything isn’t falling apart right now.”

“Joey,” Karla sniffed.

“Let’s not talk about this right now, Karla,” he said quietly.  “Please, let’s just leave it for now.”

“Okay.  Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	37. Chapter 11

_ “Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.  It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” _

_ -William Jennings Bryan _

* * *

 

_**September 3** _

_**The Town of Grounder** _

_**Shade Tower, New Expansion, Foreign Residential West Wing** _

 

“So, you promised her what,” Masa asked the doctor, growling under his breath as the thoughts of the current reveals bounced around in his head. 

“I promised I’d save her if she flatlined before she achieved her goal, but that if someone else were to appear in need of similar treatments, I would drop her as an ICU patient and move them to top priority, no matter what.  She said that she wanted nothing more than to save the other players here, and since ICU is full right now, she wanted to make sure she wasn’t prioritized. That was the deal.” Porter leaned back in his chair as the link flickered a little, its daily update being received.

“So, you’re saying that if some player in that hospital needed to be moved, you would move someone with heart failure out just so you could save them,” Masa growled again.

“As a doctor, I am obligated to treat everyone the same without discriminating by wealth, lineage, or ability.  I am also obligated to respect every patient’s wishes, Mr. Kagemune,” Porter said, picking up his coffee mug and taking a big gulp.  Masa looked less than pleased on his computer screen and he had to laugh at how immature Tarou’s brother was. Tarou was wise and mature and selfless to a fault, while her younger brother Masa was like a child, naive and self centered, always willing to give up anything if it meant less pain.  Porter knew the three Kagemunes well, and he had to say, they were all great kids, but Masa was obviously the most frustrating of them all. “Masa, listen closely. Your sister is a great woman. She has been amazing, and I am honored to meet a prodigy like her. I mean, even before the game she had graduated from MIT with a doctorate degree in computer sciences when she was 16, and then she had worked for the next two years on foreign relations and interpretation for the UN before getting another degree in medical sciences in three different fields.  She’s amazing! But I can’t put her above anyone else, and she has given consent for this.”

“But-”

“Masa, she is going to get out of this.  Even if she isn’t in ICU, I’m sure Towa would figure out something to keep her alive.  She’s stronger than a lot of people I know. Please trust her, even if you don’t trust me,” Porter sighed.

“She had another major heart attack last month, Porter.  I don’t know what to do anymore, but I can’t lose her,” Masa said quietly.  “I appreciate you playing psychiatrist for me and the others as well as keeping us updated on this.  I’m sure you’re a busy man. I can’t thank you enough for this.”

“It really is an honor, Masa.  Tarou is a legend here in the real world, and she’s a great woman.  We’re getting close to getting her a heart now, and she’s getting even closer to getting out of the game.  You don’t have to worry about losing her,” Porter said, taking another gulp of coffee. The line was silent for a moment before Porter spoke once more.  “So, I have to go soon, but tell me something. How’s that boy Tarou’s so fond of. What was his name?”

* * *

 

“Leo!”  Tarou smiled at her new live-in partner.  He was one of the only people she could stand to be around recently.  Everyone else had been pushing her to quit fighting or fight even harder before she kicked the bucket.  It was bad enough that she was forced to live in the new Foreign Residential West Wing of Shade Tower, she didn’t need the added pressure of the other players.

“What,” he asked, finishing the last line of written orders to the newly instated co-guildmaster of the Sun Guild.  He glanced up at her and skimmed the screen she was at before cocking his head. “A breakthrough?”

“Yeah!  I figured out how to add in emotional support systems!  That and I found a way to share some of the magical abilities of a Shadow Keeper with the others.”

“That’s great!  Which ones,” Leo asked, standing up from his bed and walking over to Tarou’s side of the room.  He glanced over the system coding before looking away and scratching the back of his head. “You’re gonna have to translate all that gibberish for me, Tarou.  I don’t speak nerd.”

“Jerk,” she chided gently.  “I was able to program an emotional support system more advanced than the system generated companions!  It comes in the form of a player-like party member that does nothing to the headcounts, so that the angels don’t have an issue there.  The program is customizable and can collect data from combat and social scenarios to create the most comforting settings for each player.  I couldn’t finish it, but it also has a defensive feature in which it can and will fight along its assigned player in order to protect them.”

“That was all… in those letters and numbers?”  Tarou chuckled under her breath, rubbing her chest as she felt another surge of pain.  The system recreation system was functioning perfectly, but it was more of a hindrance than a help to Tarou with her health back in the real world.  “Okay then. Sorry. Please continue. What about the Shadow Keeper’s magical abilities did you figure out how to transfer.”

“I managed to  _ share _ it, not transfer it, idiot!”  Leo put his arms around Tarou’s shoulders and leaned on her in her seat, sighing as Tarou didn’t pull away like she had previously.  Life in Land of Shadows had changed quite a lot, and his relationship with Tarou was one of those changes. He almost didn’t miss being the only guildmaster of the Sun Guild, but Tarou never failed to remind him about everything he had loved about it.  “I was able to compile a list of existing spells and race traits and compare them to the coding in my own race coding. It was really quite interesting!”

“English please, Tarou.  I’m an idiot, remember? You said it yourself,” Leo teased.

“The Shadow Keeper is basically an advanced combination of a sorcerer, an enchanter, a warrior, and about 4% of all of the other race codes compiled into one advanced coding system enabling the Shadow Keeper to utilize all of the race traits from all of the races.  So, by updating all of the race codes, I can give them the best parts of the codes for productivity and safety. I can’t use it all because of pesky little bugs that the error forced on the system-”

“English.”

“I can give everyone a really awesome upgrade.”

“Good girl,” Leo said and kissed Tarou’s cheek, ignoring the bright blush that colored her cheeks.  “Why don’t we go hunting to celebrate. We won’t even tell Masa, so you won’t have to keep calling Dr. Maxim to report and check up on your status.”

“Masa will kill you, you know.  He’s already unhappy with you because of the heart attack last month,” Tarou sang.

“I’m telling you, me asking to move in with you to look out for you wasn’t the cause of that.  You turned me down and everything, though here we are, but even so, he needs to lighten up!” Tarou smiled at him.  “Hey Tarou?”

“Yeah,” she asked.

“I never got how you were able to feel how sick you were.  Is that something to do with the system? And how does this would affect the real you?”  Tarou looked at Leo like he was crazy and ruffled his already messy hair. 

“Idiot.  What were you in the real world?  I find it hard to believe you were a game tester for this if you don’t even know about that!”

“I was a game tester for Land of Shadows, but after the error, everything got real.  Like, real world real.” Leo flinched away from Tarou’s ministrations, turning and walking back to the bed.  “I swear.”

“It’s the games recreation system.  It stimulates the brain in a way that prevents all motor skills in the real world, but does not block pain signals.  The body here, in the game, is a perfect mirror of your real body thanks to Towa’s great programing and scans, so when our real body gets hurt, we feel it here exactly at the same place because the pain receptors in our brain are feeling it there.  As for the game making my heart worse, excitement and adrenaline are still produced even when I’m here, which makes my heart race, and with the damage it already has-”

“That’s enough, Tarou,” Leo said abruptly.  Tarou cut off and silence filled the room. She took the chance to launch the update, the sounds of the console working making the already awkward atmosphere even more awkward.  “Please, just stop.”

“Leo, I’m not going anywhere any time soon.  I made a promise to be there for you no matter what remember.  You are really special to me, so I can’t just leave you here. You’re my best friend,” Tarou said softly after the update finished.  She looked at Leo, who had plopped down on the bed, and sighed again. “So, how about we go on that hunt?”

“Tarou, I know it’s impolite to ask this, but what’s your real name,” Leo asked.  The room went silent. It was seen as something rude and intrusive to ask these things, but Leo had always wondered.  His name wasn’t his own as he had used his middle name, trying to abide by the rules set up in the registration process.  He knew the doctors called players by their username in order to keep the anonymity in case anyone was listening in, but Tarou had a last name, and another brother for that matter.  He had always wondered about Tarou, and if she didn’t want to tell him, he would take that. “It’s just… you said we’re best friends. Once we get out of here, I want to know what to call you.”

“Already thinking about out there?”  Tarou chuckled tiredly. “My name is Tarou Kagemune, Leo.  That’s all you need to know.” Leo’s face remained relatively emotionless, as it had been since she had called him her best friend.  “Don’t be mad. I told you the truth. Would you tell me your name if I were to ask?”

“Of course,” Leo whispered.

“Well then, what is it?”

“Theo,” Leo said quietly.

“Well then, Theo, my name is Tarou.  It’s nice to meet you,” Tarou chirped, standing up and equipping her daggers.  Leo groaned.

“That’s not fair,” Leo growled, sitting up and taking in Tarou as she checked the straps of her armor and jacket.  He growled again under his breath before opening his menu and equipping his own armor and sword. “You know what Tarou?  I won’t look for you after this, I’ll just forget about you.”

The room was silent for a long moment as Leo realized what he had said.  He wished he could take it back. 

“It would be best if you would forget about me, Leo.  I’m sorry you met me, but I’m glad we’ve had this time.”  Leo went to speak, to deny what she had said, but Tarou was too fast and hurried to finish what she had to say.  “Forget about hunting. You stay here. I’m just going down to the market. Alone.”

“Tarou!”  But she had already warped out of the room.  Leo growled under his breath and headed out to find someone to take his frustration out on.  If that meant punching one of the guards out in the courtyard, then so be it.

* * *

 

The market was crowded.  Actually, crowded was an understatement.  It was bustling with craftsmen, street vendors, farmers, A.Is, and shoppers all chattering and laughing.  Tarou had to smile. It was nice to see that the devastation of being stuck in the game hadn’t completely destroyed the players she was fighting to help.  She adjusted her coat to hide her weapons. There was never such a thing as enough protection.

She was careful to dodge guild members, from Shade Guild and others alike.  She hid her face from the bustle to protect her identity. She honestly wanted to avoid the hassle that came with her name, from friend and foe alike.  It was already apparent that she had already been spotted by a few passers by; the passing murmurs of her name caught her attention like a bull horn.

Catching sight of her escape route, she took it, rushing through a few back alleys into the slums of Grounder.  The Shade Tower was still visible as she looked around before ducking into her old home. It was a relief when she leaned against the closed door and heard the system automated ‘lock’ sound.  KoTarou, who she hadn’t seen since July, stood panting in one corner of the room, head tilted to the side.

“KoTarou, heel boy!”  The dog rushed to her side and sat down by her right side.  She reached down to pat the dog’s head as he panted before heading over to her room, opening the door and striding toward her bed just as the incoming call icon popped up in front of her.  “Accept,” she said, sitting down. Porter’s face popped up on a holographic screen, his face smiling, but eyes filled with concern.

“How are you feeling, Tarou,” He asked, voice warm and gentle.  Tarou didn’t respond. “I assume you are choosing not to comment on that.  I also assume you know that I’ve spoken to your brother.” Again, he was met with silence.  “He said that you and that boy, Leo I think he said, have become quite close.”

“Yeah, but you know that isn’t what I want to talk about, Porter.”

“I sugar coated it just like you wanted,” Porter said, pulling up her chart.  He looked it over for a minute. “You can’t have another heart attack, Tarou. The damage itself is progressing at a startling rate, but if you have another one, I don’t think we’ll be able to bring you back, no matter how much money Towa pours into it.”

“You haven’t told Makoto yet, right?”

“Masa calls him all the time.  Plus, I don’t think that poor boy could take any more bad news,” Porter said, putting the chart down.  “Tarou, how much longer until you test something? Do you even have anything yet?”

“I’m dying, Porter.  That desperation you have, that should be me,” Tarou chuckled.  “I do have something, but it’s a prototype and I don’t want to risk any bugs on anyone, but with the way it’s set up, I can’t be the tester because it will only activate by internal voice command, meaning I have to be here.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to test it, Tarou, but there has to be a first, and there always has to be a risk.  Have you told your brother? He might be willing to test it out for you-”

“Don’t ever suggest that again.  I may not be as protective as some people about my family, but suggesting that I use my own brother-”

“You are protective, Tarou, or you wouldn’t have lied about how bad you really are or what has been going on with you.  You have protected everyone around you, Tarou. I think it’s time you let it go and see what happens if you let them try things instead of putting it on yourself.  I think it’s time to give it a rest,” Porter said. “It’s time to try things because it’s coming to a point where we can’t wait any longer.”

“What about the transplant list?”

“Tarou, your life expectancy is less than two months and the chance of you getting a heart is very slim.  I’m sorry to tell you this, especially because I’ve come to know you pretty well, but I think it’s time to take risks and then say goodbye,” Porter said quietly.  “This doesn’t mean give up because there is still a chance that a heart will come or that you’ll live longer than expected, but this is a chance to take a break and try to ease some of that stress.”

“Porter-”

“Tarou,” Porter said seriously.  “I need you to be healthy. Not for the other players, but for yourself.”

“Okay, fine.”

“Have you asked him out yet?”  Tarou looked taken aback. “You love him right?”

“He’s my best friend,” Tarou said, knowing exactly who Porter was talking about.  There was only one possibility. “He’s the only friend I’ve ever had.”

“Tarou, you have to take risks.”

“Not that kind of risk, Porter,” Tarou said, leaning over to pat the bed next to her in invitation for KoTarou.  “I’ll tell my brother and see what he thinks, but if this progresses, I want you to have a full medical team on site when or if we try to push a player back.”

“Thank you, Tarou.  This will be good for you,” Porter said.

“I need a promise on that last part, Porter.”

“You got it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	38. Chapter 12

_ “I’ve always been afraid of losing people I love.  Sometimes I wonder if there is anyone out there afraid to lose me.” _

_ -Unknown _

* * *

 

**_September 4_ **

**_The Province of Inaho_ **

**_The International Server Portal Hall_ **

 

The International Server Portals had been unused by anyone other than Tarou of the Shade Guild, but now the portal door swung open and the A.I. guards rushed to check credentials as a group of travelers, dressed in red, walked through it calmly.  The group of three men and two younger women looked extremely serious as they pulled up their player information and tapped on the translate icons.

**_Kei Yamato_ **

**Gender:**  Male

**Age:**  24

**Race:** _ Druid, Tracker, Navigato _ r

**Level:** _ 98 _

_ Shiroe Guild _

_ Japan Server, the City of Taiko _

 

**_Tohma Shiro_ **

**Gender:** Male

**Age:**  17

**Race:**  Enchanter, Medicine

**Level:** _ 32 _

_ Shiroe Guild _

_ Japan Server, the Province of Kyoutoma _

 

**_Saki Kaito_ **

**Gender** **_:_ ** _  Female _

**Age:** _  22 _

**Race:** _  Vampire _

**Level:** _  48   _

_ Shiroe Guild _

_ Japan Server, the Province of Tora _

 

**_Nanami Yamamoto_ **

**Gender:** _  Female _

**_Age:_ ** _  18 _

**Race:**  Assassin, Duel swords

**Level:** _  96  _

_ Shiroe Guild  _

_ Japan Server, the City of Kirigaya _

 

**_Ryuu Kagemune_ ** __

**Gender:** _ Male _

**_Age:_ ** _  19 _

**Race:**  Warrior, Tank

**Level:** _ 93 _

_ Shiroe Guild _

_ Japan Server, the Town of Watanuki _

When the guards’ monotone request for a reason, the leader, the man with the name of Kei, stepped forward, eyes like steel.  His voice was rough, and his English broken, but it was pretty clear what he was trying to say.

“We’re here to request a place in the Shade Guild’s Foreign Residential wings.  We’re here to see Tarou Kagemune,” said Kei. “We’re here for her.”

* * *

 

Tarou lay sprawled across her bed in the old apartment she had lived in before her brother moved her in with Leo.  It had already been a day since she had left and the messages from both Masa, Joey, Karla, and Leo were filling her inbox, but she didn’t respond.  She tapped away at her master console, tweaking the coding and checking the commands. She could hear KoTarou panting over in the corner, but used it simply as background, along with the game’s soundtrack that played nonstop.

The video chat began to ring, and the icon sprang up in front of the console’s holographic screen.  She ignored it, seeing that Masa’s name was beneath the icon. “I don’t need to talk now! Why won’t he just go away?”  The call stopped before starting back up, this time with the word URGENT next to it. “Goddamnit, Masa! What is so urgent?”

“I won’t even mention your disappearance.  Poor Leo is beside himself thinking he forced you out into the field by bothering you, not to mention how worried I’ve been.  Hitch mentioned something about you maybe having another attack and getting killed somewhere! He had me worried-”

“Is that all you called to talk about?”

“No Tarou, it’s not.  I called to tell you that Kei, Ryuu, and some others from Japan’s Shiroe Guild are here requesting stay in one of the FR wings.  Do we know them?” Tarou rolled her eyes at her brother, running a hand through her hair and shifting her position a bit.

“Did you notice Ryuu’s last name, Masa.  He’s a Kagemune, our cousin. The others are probably family too, not that you would know since you never took an interest in visiting with me on my trips to Japan.”  Masa’s face was priceless, and Tarou chuckled as she watched him give her what looked like a ‘manly’ pout.

“Not my fault, family relations and business is the responsibility of the eldest in the family.  Plus, you were born there. That’s you Tarou, little miss I-know-twenty-different-languages,” Masa mocked.  The blank stare he got from Tarou made him shrink a bit. “Okay, you speak sixteen, but still! I don’t even speak Japanese… not that you didn’t try to teach me.”  Masa looked away from the screen.

“So, was housing the only thing Kei and Ryuu wanted?  I’m sure they wouldn’t have come from the Japan server just for fun,” Tarou said, opening up her inbox to see if she, as founder of the Shade Guild, had received any word about the request.  There was a message, marked URGENT in large red letters from the International Guard Service. She quickly read through it before standing, the holographic screen rising with her, and KoTarou whining from his position still panting in the corner.  “Accept the request. I’m heading over to Shade Tower now. Leave them in the meeting room. I want Hitch, Leo, Joey, Karla, and Hex there. Hex needs to be there as a technician, and I want my friends there too if they plan on staying for any period of time.”

“Understood.  Hey Tarou?”

“Yeah Masa?”

“You’re alright, right?”

There was no answer as the link disconnected, cutting off the two siblings.  Tarou didn’t know what ‘alright’ or ‘okay’ was anymore. Maybe it was the fact that she had been stuck in the game for almost three and a half years, or maybe it was the fact that she was dying, but it didn’t feel like she was living anymore.  It wasn’t even quite surviving.

* * *

 

The party of Japanese players strode through the marketplace in the town of Grounder, ignoring the odd stares.  Kei walked a few steps behind Ryuu, chest puffed out and glare firmly placed on his face. Ryuu had an air of power around him, but a smile, light and childish, lit up his handsome features.  He stuck out in the group, his height an entire foot and a half taller than the others.

“Ryuu, do you think Tarou will be happy to see us,” Saki asked in Japanese, her ponytail swinging behind her as she struggled to keep up with him.  “She always told us to stay on our server.”

“She said it because she didn’t want us to be seen as possible traitors, just like when she asked us not to be seen tampering with settings or codes,” Ryuu answered in English after seeing a few onlookers whispering about the foreign tongue she had used.  “English please, Saki. And please remember not to call someone by their last name or to add an honorific. This is the West.” 

“But-”

“Ryuu!”  Tarou appeared out of an alley, her grey coat neatly concealing her weapons as she swept her surrounding casually, ensuring that both the party of players and herself were safe.  Ryuu’s smile brightened even further when he saw her and he hurried over, hugging her tightly as Kei made a noise in the back of his throat, looking on in disapproval. “Oh, hush Kei.  Always the uptight stick in the mud.”

“Like you’re any better-”

“She is,” said the other members of the group, and Kei fell silent.  Ryuu pulled back, holding onto Tarou’s shoulders and looking into her eyes with an uncharacteristically serious look.  “Tarou, how bad is it?”

“I should be done with the coding soon, especially with you guys here to help, right?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.  I’m asking you about your heart.” He was met with silence and he sighed in frustration.  “Fine, don’t talk to me about it. I’m guessing you’ll help us.”

“Yeah.”  Tarou wasted no time in leaving, striding toward Shade Tower.  She didn’t look back, knowing that the others would follow. Ryuu received a harsh glare from Kei, to which he smiled back.

“Why are we here again?”

“Don’t forget who Tarou is, Kei.  She is our cousin and the head of the Kagemune family as much as I know you hate to admit it.”  Ryuu jogged away from the group in an attempt to catch up with Tarou, the others following behind.  Kei stood in place for a few moments before sighing and rolling his eyes. “Kei!”

“Coming!”  

* * *

 

Masa sat in the meeting room, tapping his foot impatiently and glaring at the back of Hitch’s head.  Joey and Karla were seated on the opposite side of the meeting room table playing tic-tac-toe and whispering back and forth to each other.  Hitch stared blankly at the door.

“How long does it take her to get here?  What if something happened to her? What if she died?”  Masa rambled on and on until the door swung open and he stood up abruptly.  He dropped back down in his seat as Leo closed the door behind him. “God, Leo!  I thought that you were Tarou.”

“So she’s not here yet?”

“No duh,” Masa said as Leo walked further into the room.  He threw his head backwards against the chair and let out a long sigh, closing his eyes.  “She isn’t here yet. Where is she? Is she having another heart attack? Is she already dead?  Maybe I should call Porter. He might know. But if she’s having a heart attack, he would need to focus on that a hundred percent, so I shouldn’t call.  What if she’s already dead and she’s alone? What if she went to meet those players and they killed her? What if-”

“Killing me off already, Masa?”  Tarou stood in the open doorway, staring at her brother and friends with a mild scowl.  Behind her stood the members of the Japanese Shiroe Guild, two men standing slightly in front of the rest of the group, one on each side of Tarou.  “I thought you knew I wouldn’t go down so easily.”

“Tarou,” Leo whispered, turning to look at his friend.  “I’m so sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about, Leo.  Nothing,” Tarou said, walking further into the room, the others following suit.  She walked up to Leo, patting his shoulder as she passed, before looking at her brother.  “Masa, these are our cousins and the Japanese agents who have been issuing my updates on their server.”

Masa just looked at her, not at the group behind her, unblinking.  “Thank the gods.”

“Gods?”  Ryuu looked perplexed as he stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Tarou.  “America has polytheistic religions?”

“Of course.  There are the religions from India, and Shinto, which is what we were raised as.  That’s not important,” Tarou said, waving dismissively at him as she sat down in a chair next to Masa, flopping down and sighing heavily.  “I’m so tired.”

“And that’s important,” Kei asked snidely.

“It is actually.   It could be a sign that Tarou’s illness is progressing,” Saki said, Nanami nodding in agreement.  “Hi, I’m Saki Kaito, second head of the Kagemune Medical Group’s Japan branch, and this is my cousin… or I guess our cousin, Nanami Yamamoto.  That boy over there is Tohma Shiro, and that mean looking man is Kei Yamato, Ryuu Kagemunes’ assistant. Mean as he may be, he’s still happy to be meeting Masa and Tarou’s friends from America for the first time.”

“That’s right, we forgot to introduce ourselves!  How could I forget,” Ryuu laughed.

“Because your an idiot,” Kei snorted.  He went silent when he realized that the others weren’t laughing with him.  “Sorry. I can get a bit over excited. I have no filter. Ignore me.”

“Are we done here?”  Masa looked at his ‘cousins’ suspiciously before turning to look at Tarou.  “Where have you been? We’ve all been worrying ourselves sick about you being sick!  You didn’t answer any of my calls before that last one and Leo stayed up all night messaging you from my rooms because he was so sure he was the reason you had disappeared!  I couldn’t see you on my map, so I thought you went and did something stupid! You- You! You!”

“Masa, calm down.  I’m fine,” Tarou reassured her brother, reaching out in an uncharacteristically timid motion.  She brushed some of her brothers hair out of his eyes and wiping at the tears that were falling.  “I’m sorry, alright. I went to my old place and sent out a jamming code on my GPS. I was totally okay.  I just wanted a little time to cool off. It’s been rough recently.”

Masa was silent as he collapsed against his sister, shoving his face into the crook of her neck and gripping the back of her coat with both hands.  The skin of her neck and shoulder became wet with his tears as he shook against her. Joey and Karla stood up as well and ran to Tarou, hugging her and Masa as they too began to cry.  Leo took a few steps towards them, but stopped when Hitch cleared his throat and continued to look at the bunch with a completely blank expression, although his eyes shone with emotions that even he wasn’t sure he understood them himself.

Ryuu and the others began to whisper in hushed tones in broken English for a while before switching to Japanese.  Tarou stuck her head on top of Masa’s and closed her eyes, listening halfheartedly to what her cousins were saying.  Masa’s quiet shaking turned into full blown sobs and he became a dead weight, dragging his sister to the ground with him, the other siblings easily following them.  Tarou looked up to Hitch, eyes carefully blank.

“Find my cousins all rooms in the Foreign Residential Wing near where Leo and I stay.  Take Leo with you. I need a minute with these three,” she said hoarsely, giving away that she was anything but blank.  Hitch nodded, grabbing firmly onto Leo’s shoulder and pulling him out of the room, nodding for the others to follow, which they did after a moment of hesitation.  “Thank you, Hitch.”

“It’s my job,” Hitch said quietly, “I’m your friend after all.”

“Tarou-” Leo tried, but Hitch quickly cut him off, shoving him out the door and closing it behind them.  The room fell silent other than the sobs and sniffs of the three who clung to Tarou. 

Tarou idly stroked her brother’s head, humming soothingly as she had when they were younger.  She sighed as she realized that the recreation system had recreated their scents. It nearly made her laugh.  They had been stuck there for years, yet she had never noticed. But she couldn’t laugh. She was too relieved at the fact that she could have such a… such a comfort.  The mild cologne that he always wore had somehow transferred into the system, and she didn’t much care to know how.

“T-Tarou… you smell like home,” Masa muttered as his sobs began to quiet down, burrowing further into his sister.  “I… I want to go home, Tarou, but I don’t want to go home with-without you. You… you make it home. Tarou! I want to go home!”

“It’s okay, Masa.  I want to go home, too,” she said quietly.

“Promise me you’ll take us home, Tarou.  Promise that you’ll take us all home,” Masa sniffed.  “Promise me Tarou! Promise me,” he shouted when she didn’t respond.  She nodded slightly.

“I’ll get us all out real soon, Masa.  Hitch and Joey and Karla and you and everyone.  I’ll get us all out,” Tarou said quietly. She told him what he wanted to hear, but it tasted bitter on her tongue before dispelling the thought.  She hadn’t lied. She would get them all out. She would get them all home. She didn’t promise she’d go home, only that she would bring them home… and she would do it even if it cost her everything she had, including her life.  “Masa, I’ll take all of us home.”

“Tarou,” Joey and Karla cried, sobs renewing.  Masa hugged his sister even closer.

“I promise.  I’ll take us all home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	39. Chapter 13

_ “I acted like it wasn’t really a big deal, when it was really breaking my heart.” _

_ -Unknown _

_ “If the fear of loss conquers me, the reality of failure will consume me.” _

_ -Michael Dooley _

* * *

 

**_September 4th_ **

**_The Province of Bristol, Great Britain Server_ **

**_Plume Guild Citadel, Guildmaster's Quarters_ **

 

“Have you ever thought that maybe she hasn’t been coming here because you tried to control her, William?  She wasn’t too happy when you told her that you find a way to lock her down if she continued to fight,” said a young boy, no older than about 12, looking at the pacing guildmaster.  

“She’s dying, Collin!  She is dying, and she’s trying to speed it up with all of this stress!  I can’t lose her,” William said, pacing the floor, red guild uniform coat blowing behind him.  His eyes, the normally calm hazel, blazed with a fire that made his gaze burn with intensity. “She’s-

“She’s Tarou, William.  She’s our cousin, and we know how she is better than anyone.  She’ll be fine. She’s a fighter, William. She’s a fighter, and she’ll fight to the end and still come out alive.  I get what you’re saying, she’s my cousin, too. She’s a friend and honestly, one of the most capable heads of this family,” Collin said, leaning back against the wall as his guildmaster paused in mid-step.  “What?”

“Gather a team.  We’re going to Shade Tower.  We’re going to help Tarou get us out.  The sooner the better for her.”

“William!  You’re being stupid!”

“Do it Collin.  We leave tonight.”

* * *

 

“Are we okay now, Masa?”  The man didn’t respond, pushing his face further into Tarou’s neck.  Joey and Karla had been called out of the room, Joey for a raid planning session, Karla for a medicinal lesson from the other druid herbalists.  The siblings were the only ones left in the room, and Tarou had finally been able to calm her brother down.

“I’m a terrible guildmaster, Tarou.  I can’t take myself out of this situation and I’m failing everyone in Shade, but I can’t just watch from the sidelines in this,” Masa said into the skin of her neck.  Tarou let out a sound that was as close to an animalistic growl as she could’ve possibly made. Masa let out a sound that was almost a whimper in response.

“That has nothing to do with this, Masa, and I wouldn’t expect you to remove yourself from this and be unbiased.  You are a great guildmaster, and you should know that because I haven’t told you that you were. You know me well,” she said into the top of his hair.

“I know you too well, which is why I’m so worried about this.  I try so hard to protect everyone here because you entrusted them to me, but I am so afraid that I’ll fail and make it worse for you because you’re so involved in these things.  What if I fail and you die trying to help fix it?”

“Masa,” Tarou snapped, pushing him away and looking into her eyes, “You think too little of me, Masa.  You should know that I would never go down like that, I’d sooner go down in a fight against an MG.” Tarou tried to continue, but a message popped up in the air in front of both her and Masa, the name of the system’s guarding system displayed in bold.

Masa wiped his face on the sleeve of his uniform coat, reaching out and opening the message as Tarou did the same, rubbing at the wetness on her neck.

**_User:_ ** _ Tarou Kagemune _

**_Message:_ ** _  As you are the sole founder of the Shade Guild, we, the Land of Shadows International Server Portal Guards, felt the need to inform you that a party of 10 members from the Plume Guild on the United Kingdom server have appeared through the International Server Portal and are seeking to gain lodging in Shade Tower’s Foreign Residency wing.  The names of the players are as follows: William Kyles, Collin Kyles, Rin Kyles, Lycan, Fang, Red, Renny, Prince, Korey, Hatori Kagemune. We also obtained information from them involving your name. We will not permit them to pass through until we receive expressed permission from you. Please notify us via code within the next twenty-four hours or the party will promptly be sent back to their server. _

“Wills?”

* * *

 

William tapped his foot, weapons on clear display, the system’s guards surrounding him, seeing him as a threat.  “This is ridiculous! Why do we have to wait for permission just to leave the International Server Portal? It’s already been twenty minutes!”

“Tarou coded the guards in order to protect all players from different servers.  It was part of the first update, William. She didn’t want anyone passing through without reasonable cause and permission.  It’s to defend against MGs and their members.” Collin sat in a corner, playing tic-tac-toe with Rin using the app from the last system update.  Rin, the petite girl with reddish-brown hair and blue eyes, the perfect mix of their Japanese and British parents, nodded quietly, placing an ‘O’ perfectly, ending the match in a draw.

“Tarou’s had to wait for us too, William.  All those times you decided to put off accepting her request to come to the citadel so you could play with some girls or got to sleep for the night, I think waiting a couple minutes in the middle of the afternoon isn’t so bad.”  Rin opened another game, ignoring her brother’s scoff.

“But we’re on totally different levels!”

“You’re right, she’s way above you,” Lycan said, sliding down the wall and scrolling through several messages, all from female players he had met in the tavern near his room within the citadel.  “William, stop being so stupid. Spencer wouldn’t approve. He held Tarou in very high regards. He’d be furious with you.”

William looked taken aback at the mention of Spencer.  “Don’t talk about my brother, Lycan! He died saving you, and Tarou did nothing to save him or bring him back,” he hissed, tone poisonous and wretched as he began stalking toward Lycan, eyes burning, only to be held back by the guards, still wary about his weapons.

“Tarou wasn’t on our server, William, and she can’t bring back the dead.  She’s not God!” Collin’s voice rang true as he turned away from his game with Rin.  “Do you think it was easy for her? She’s the one who had to deal with it all on her own!  Spencer wasn’t just another head of the family, William. He was one of her allies, he was her friend.”

“She didn’t even try!  I know she didn’t! I was there!  And now she’s dying too, and she doesn’t even care what will happen or how it will affect everyone else!  At this rate-”

“Shut it, William!  I’ve had enough of this!”  Hatori, by far the most capable of the group, was the one to speak.  All of the players froze. Hatori didn’t speak unless it was something important, and he never spoke as harshly as he had in that moment.  He stood against the wall a few feet behind the guards. “Tarou knows, okay? She’s trying, harder than anyone else. She knows what will happen, she’s planned for it too.  And guess what? She’s dealing with it alone. Do you think your petty grudge and attempt to shove away everything and everyone is helping? It’s bad enough she has to deal with having her family here, she doesn’t need to deal with false hatred.”

**Acceptance Code Entered**

**Party of 10 May Continue to Destination**

“Finally,” William groaned as the guards backed away from him.  “How far do you think it is to Shade Tower? I’ve never been.”

**Party of 10, Please Enter Transportation Portal (User Transport ID: Tarou)**

“Not far.  Not far at all.”

* * *

 

Tarou walked quietly down the hall, her gray coat folded easily over arm.  The black and gray clothing looked as if it were causing her pain. The halls were quiet, most of the foreign residents either out on missions or away on business to deal with their guilds.  Tarou silently thanked whatever powers that be that it was empty. When she reached the hall that she and Leo’s quarters resided in, she slid down the wall, clutching desperately at her chest.

**Incoming Call from Porter Maxim**

**Urgent**

“Damn it all!”  She growled under her breath fiercely, her left arm feeling heavy and her right reaching shakily toward the answer call button.  She had barely touched the button when she felt her image waver. “Porter, what the hell is going on?”

“Tarou, you need to calm down.  Your heartbeat is irregularly fast.  You’re going to go into cardiac arrest if you don’t.  You’re under too much stress.” Porter’s eyes were wide, his face pale.  In the background Tarou could hear her youngest brother, Makoto, screaming.

“Damn it Porter!  I can’t! I don’t know why this is happening!”

“Tarou,” Makoto screamed.  

“Shut him up, Sam!  He’s not helping the situation,” Porter said harshly, looking away from the camera.  Tarou wavered again, and Porter cursed.

“She’s flatlining!”

“Tarou!”

“Shut up!”

“That’s enough.  Tell Makoto to link in.  I need to see him just as bad as he needs to see me.  It’ll help me calm down,” Tarou hissed under her breath.  She could distantly hear some players returning from their endeavors.  “Do it now. The residents are coming back from their missions and I can’t be here when that happens.  It would cause a panic.”

“Tarou-”

“Do it Porter.  Just do it.”

* * *

 

“Makoto, your sister wants to talk to you right now.  I need you to calm down first though,” Tarou’s designated nurse said, putting a hand on the young boy’s shoulder.  He looked up, reddish-brown hair a mess from tugging, tear stains marring his cheeks. “Look at you, such a mess. Tarou wants to talk to you.  She needs to know you’re alright.”

“How?”

“Makoto, she’s not dead.  She needs to know you’re okay.  I think it will help stabilize her.”  Sam, the nurse, smiled gently at him, tugging on his shoulder so that he could sit up, away from Tarou’s deathly pale form on the bed.  She tried to direct his attention away from the erratic rhythms on the heart monitor, glancing towards Dr. Maxim who stood outside the door with his portable drone camera.  “She’s waiting for you on Dr. Maxim’s chat line. She really wants to see you. I think you should go talk to her for a while.”

“Is Masa there?”  He sent a sideways look over to his brother on the bed farthest away.  His brother looked far healthier, and the relief he felt was almost palpable.  “I want to see my brother too.”

“No, he isn’t.  But I’m sure Tarou could get him up on a chat too.  I just really think you should talk to your sister.”  The boy looked so young staring up at her, Sam had to remember that he was 17 years old and not a 5 year old child.  He looked thin, his clothes hanging off of him and his bones too sharp under the skin. She had to pity him for having to deal with everything.  Tarou, from what she had heard, was the only thing holding their family together, and now that she was dying, it wasn’t only that there would be a major setback for the game, but there would also be major consequences for the boy.  

“That’s okay.  I just need Tarou right now.  Masa’s fine… Tarou wouldn’t accept anything less.”

Tarou couldn’t die, Sam had decided when she had been assigned to her post as Tarou’s exclusive nurse, because her brother would die too, maybe even both of them.  Masa wasn’t enough from what she had heard. He was the wildcard that Tarou had brought back from the dark after their parents had died. Tarou couldn’t die because if she did, there would be nothing left, and Sam would never accept that.

“Stop thinking of my sister as a tool, Samantha.  I can read it all over your face.” Sam was taken aback by the boy’s comment, watching as he stood.  “I may not be as smart or kind as Tarou, but I can read you just as well as she could, and I won’t let you think about her that way.  I’m going to talk to my sister, so take this time to can the pity because we don’t need it.”

Makoto walked from the room, past Tarou’s near the window, his positioned between Tarou and Masa's, and then out of the door.  He tapped on Porter’s shoulder. Sam continued to stare.  _ She’s not a tool, that’s right. _

* * *

 

Makoto had never liked the links his sister had made.  He hated that she could see him and see what he had become.  He was more than happy to see his sister alive and well, she always seemed so dead when he saw her in real life, so he couldn’t say that he hated it, but she always looked so damn disapproving of his state when she saw him. 

As Porter transferred the link to Makoto, he cringed.  Tarou’s avatar, a perfect replication of her only far more healthy, wavered in the holographic window.  She didn’t look happy though. She looked pained, and he could see her gripping her shirt across her chest, but her eyes held a light to them that he had missed.

“T-Tarou,” he muttered quietly.  Tarou smiled at him, a slight curve of her lips, and she loosened her grip on her shirt.  Her image wavered again, but she pretended not to notice. “I-I… Tarou.”

“Makoto.  It’s good to see you, little brother, although you look even worse than the last time I saw you.  How is your course work going? I hope you are doing well,” Tarou said, ignoring the wavering of her avatar, looking straight at her brother through the link.

“It’s been good.  Towa got me a private teacher, so I have no trouble comprehending the stuff.  Maybe it’s because I’m related to you with your smart genes,” he joked, running a hand through his hair.  His eyes were bloodshot, and he could tell that they were beginning to tear by the stinging in his eyes. “I kinda miss you helping me though.”

“You’re in college, Makoto.  You are very smart, and you don’t need me to be that way.”  Tarou took a deep breath as her image became more solid. Her face, which had been tight, expressions carefully blank in an attempt to hide how much pain she was in, relaxed.  “You are so smart.”

“I’m still a year behind where you were Tarou, you’re the smart one.”

“You haven’t been eating or getting enough exercise.  You look pale as a ghost, you’re too thin, and I notice the image shaking.  Your legs are too weak.” Tarou looked calm, but her eyes didn’t match. “I’ll have to talk to Towa about setting up a program for you.”

“I don’t need one Tarou.”

“Yes you do!”  The image wavered again and she struggled to take another breath and stabilize her image.  “I may not be there to bother you about doing these things. You need to stay healthy for me and Masa.”

“Masa and I, Tarou.  You’re not using correct grammar,” he responded automatically.  Tarou smiled at him.

“You’re the smart one, Makoto, but you need to be smart about your health or you’ll end up in a hospital bed.  I’ll put you on watch in your own ward if necessary. Towa has approved any personal needs I have, and one of those things is your safety, education, and well being.  Any medical requests I make will be met, and I will make sure that you will not be allowed into our rooms until I am positive you are meeting my standards.”

“Tarou-”

“This is non-negotiable, Makoto.  What would I do in here if you started getting worse?”

“Well then get out,” Makoto said without thinking.  He looked away, briefly thinking about hanging up the chat before thinking better of it.  Tarou rarely ever called, not like Masa did anyways, so this might have been the last chance he had to chat with her for a while.  A dark part of his mind also told him that it might also be the last time he may ever have to talk to his sister. “I’m-”

“No, don’t be sorry.  You’re right. I’m not working hard enough to get us all out.  I’ll work hard for you, Makoto. I can promise you that.” Tarou’s face was dark and determined.

“William is here, Tarou!”  The faint shout in the background was overshadowed by Makoto’s own shouts.

“No!  Tarou!  Don’t over stress,” Makoto rushed out, but it was too late.  The link went dead.

“She’s stable again, Dr. Maxim,” Sam said, walking out of the room that the three siblings had.  Seeing Makoto’s face, an expression of both panic and anguish, she offered a bright smile. “Why don’t we get you something to eat in the kitchen?  It’s about time I change your brother and sister’s nutrient bag anyways.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	40. Fight For The Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the beginning of the fourth and final part of the first novel in the "Land of Shadows" trilogy.

"Anyone who fights for the future, lives in it today."

\- Ayn Rand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	41. Chapter 14

_ “Don’t waste your time on revenge.  Those who hurt you will eventually face their own karma.” _

_ -Matareva Pearl _

* * *

 

**_September 7th_ **

**_The Province of Inaho_ **

**_Growling Thunder Citadel, Murder Guild Headquarters_ **

 

The air was tense in the great hall of the citadel.  Members of the murder guild sat scattered around in chairs, drinking beer and spirits at tables, trying to ignore their leader who sat in his ‘throne’ at the front of the hall, expression dark.  His partner, an older player of about 30, looked nervous.

“Sir, why have you decided to wait for so long?  Our players are growing weaker and weaker. Maybe we should start thinking about breaking up the guild?  Our members are our guild, and we should try to integrate them into guilds so that they can safely reach physicians.  Maybe we could-”

“Shut up!  This has nothing to do with that!”  He sat brooding, his cape pulled into his lap.  He played with the guild seal which had been embroidered into it, eyes burning with something close to fury.  “And we were waiting for her to get weak enough to attack. I want her to give us some advantages before killing her off.  I think I’d like to play with her for a while.”

“But sir!  Why don’t we give up on her?  She’s the strongest and most protected player in all of Land of Shadows!”

“I can’t leave her be Torrez!  I’m not some weakling! Growling Thunder is not some weak little PK party!  I will have her!” He coughed. “Damn.”

“Sir?”

“I will have Tarou, Torez, and Growling Thunder is going to help me get her,” he said calmly, but it did nothing to hide the dark intent.  “No matter how long it takes, I will have Tarou Kagemune, Ace of Land of Shadows.”

* * *

 

“Will you go out with me Tarou?”  Tarou looked utterly shocked at the man in front of her.  It had been a long time since she had heard those words, and she had never expected them to come from the person they did.  Frost stood in front of her, gray-blue uniform neatly arranged and pristine. The normally too serious man looked more nervous than he ever had, and Tarou was pretty sure that it had more to do with the wall of her family… and Leo, most likely glaring at him from behind her than it was of her turning him down.

“Frost,” she said quietly, reaching a hand out to him, but being dragged back by Masa and Collin.

“Tarou isn’t interested, Frosty boy,” Masa hissed over her shoulder.  “She has to show our visitors around. She has to show them a good time today.”

“Isn’t that right Tarou,” Collin sneered at him.  William, his whitish-blond hair shining in the light stepped in front of Tarou, arms crossed and glare firmly in place, but a bright blush staining his cheeks.   _ Nothing like the game’s emotion sensors _ , Tarou thought.  Frost glared back.

“Let Tarou decide for herself!  I’m a visitor too, so she should be showing me around too!  I’ve been around longer,” Frost argued back, but the men in her family were less than receptive to the other guildmaster’s counter.

“But we’re newer and haven’t had time to explore.  Plus, we’re family, Frostbite,” William growled. “Stupid Tarou!  Why am I helping you?”

“Bye Frost,” Masa said, dragging Tarou backwards.  Frost stood totally shocked, his normally calm, cool, and collected aura wiped away.  His normally handsome features that had earned him the title of tall, dark, mature, and handsome among the girls of the Shade Guild were now making him young and childish.  He looked utterly appalled.

Leo looked completely silent as he brooded beside the girls in the group, ignoring as they cooed and complimented him and how handsome he was.  Rin was the most persistent of the bunch, the young girl always looked at him like he hung the moon and the stars, which more than surprised the rest of the group.

“Rin’s never acted like this before, you know,” Fang said, walking a bit behind the rest of the group and Tarou in order to talk to him.  “She’s been emotionless since the day she was born, except when it came to Tarou. It seems that you’re something special, Mr. Leo.”

“Not really,” he mumbled in return, still stuck in his own thoughts.  Collin, William, and Masa were still talking to Tarou in hushed tones, laughing occasionally, but Leo couldn’t act so lightly.  Tarou was his best friend, and he didn’t want some other guy interfering his time with her or her health, which he knew would be the case if that other guy had decided to involve himself.

“Tarou’s never had a friend before, you know,” Fang continued, trying to lighten the mood.  “Her parents were first generation immigrants. They were the family heads, and were training her to be the family head as well.  She was so focused on pleasing them and protecting the family that she never considered having anyone else. She was young when she completed university and medical school, and that didn’t help matters.  She was always traveling to take care of the rest of the family, and with the pressure of her parents, and after they died, looking out for the family and her two younger brothers. I think that’s part of why Tarou has done everything she has.  But you, you’re special. You’ve cracked into a Tarou that none of us, not even Masa, has known.”

Leo nodded, not really listening to what the other player had said.   _ I never liked Frost _ , he thought,  _ He was always so harsh to Tarou before, always the suspicious one.  I still don’t know what Tarou ever saw in the others. She rarely even talked to any of them.  Why would she choose anyone else? I could have made the Sun Guild big enough for everyone, or we could have worked together in order to run the Shade Guild and make it open to all players.  There was no need for an 8 guild alliance or for Tarou to leave behind her guild. Frost didn’t have to come into the equation at all. _

“Leo,” Tarou called, snapping him out of his brooding.  “We’re going to split up. Karla, Joey and Masa are going to take some of them into town, but I promised Collin and Ryuu’s party that Hitch and I would take them out to hunt.  Are you gonna stay here, go with Masa, or come with me and Hitch?”

“I could go for a good hunt,” Leo said, jogging to catch up to Tarou.  Fang watched as he smiled at Tarou and put his arm around her, laughing.

“He’s clueless.”  Fang shook his head, jogging to catch up with Masa and the two twins to head into town.  “He’s really clueless,” he mumbled.

* * *

 

It was dark in the forest, but Tarou liked it like that.  With a high ranking illumination spell, she liked it when her pray couldn’t see her, but she could see it.  There were several dragon-like creatures near the clearing, just inside the treeline, and she could feel her fingers itching to move and to kill and to protect the group behind her.  Kotarou, who she had summoned to her side when entering the forest, panted beside her in excitement.

“Tarou, what are we waiting for,” Kei said, hesitating as he translated his words.  His mace was hanging over his shoulder, left hand holding it firm. Ryuu laughed beside him.  

“Just believe in our dear cousin, Kei.  Stop being so uptight and be quiet for one,” he whispered playfully.  Tarou sent a glance their way, smiling as Kei nudged him a bit harder than necessary.

“What are you smiling about, Tarou,” Leo asked beside her.

“I’m just happy that I don’t have to wait or travel to see my cousins,” she deadpanned before cracking a smile at him.  “I’m glad you came, Leo. It means a lot that you came with us instead of going into town. Especially because this is my first hunt in a while.”

“Tarou-” Leo started, but Tarou had sprung into action, noticing the the monsters had heard them and were slowly moving toward them.  The rest of the group followed, lead by Hitch, and Leo couldn’t move. He was shocked into silence as he watched Tarou in action, moving with such grace.  He could tell that she was holding back, allowing the other members of the party to get some of the items for killing them, and jumping in to help the two girls who had come from Ryuu’s group when one of the monsters got too riled up.

“Leo!  Are you coming,” Hitch yelled, finishing off one monster as another respawned.  Leo didn’t respond, just watched Tarou slay monster after monster, never allowing a single blow to land on her while also protecting the others in the party.

“Leo,” Tarou shouted, “Get going and do your part.”  She glared at him over her shoulder before Leo watched her eyes widen.  “Leo move!”

“What?”  As soon as Leo said that, a heavy weight fell on his back and a blade was pressed to his throat.  He made a sound similar to a whimper, and a manic laugh sounded behind him. “Tarou-”

The monsters were long forgotten by Tarou as she sprinted toward Leo, swords drawn and ready.  The blade was pressed more firmly into Leo’s throat and the sound the sound he made stopped Tarou in her tracks.

“I would stop where you are, Tarou Kagemune.  I don’t think this little prodigy of yours would look as good in red as you look in gray,” rasped a cold voice by Leo’s ear.  “Put the sword on the ground or he turns into pixels and never gets out of the game.”

“Why are you here?  What guild are you from?”

“I’m here to kill you, Miss Tarou.  My guildmaster has become fascinated with you, and the one to take your head gets to be his right hand man.”  The voice responded. “I’m here from King Cross, and my name is Penance. I’ll be more than happy to give you this little puppy dog if you’ll come over easy.

“Tarou,” Ryuu shouted, fending off yet another monster that had respawned.  Hitch actually looked concerned as he watched her, fending off his own monster.  “Don’t do it! Leo will be fine! They don’t want him!”

“Fine,” Tarou said, glaring at the player holding Leo.  She put down her swords, moving slowly so as not to startle the offender.  Leo made another sound. “Please, just let him go. Leo is my prodigy, he has done nothing wrong and would never do anything to harm you if you just walked away.”

“Tarou, your being stupid,” Leo growled as fear and adrenaline surged through him.   _ The way he’s holding me makes it close to impossible to escape.  He’ll kill me if I move, but Tarou… _  A video chat alert popped up in front of Tarou, but she ignored it.  “Tarou.”

The chat disappeared and popped up next in front of Karla who was hidden behind her brother, being protected as she chanted some healing and defense incantations.  URGENT! URGENT! URGENT! “Damn it! Joey, make sure they don’t get through! It’s some guy named Porter calling and it says urgent!”

“Tarou, calm down,” Hitch growled over his shoulder.  Tarou didn’t turn to look at him, and he hissed out a few curses under his breath.  Karla had already answered the call, and Hitch rose his voice so that it was clear to hear for Porter.  “I know, Maxim! What’s her BPM?”

“Way too high, that’s what it is,” Porter hissed through the link.  “Tarou! Calm down.”

“Just let go of Leo.  It’s me you want right,” she said quietly, hands still up in the air in surrender.  “Leo is not who you want, it’s me, so just let him go and I’ll take his place.” Tarou flipped her hair away from her eyes, startling the offending player, making him press the blade closer to Leo’s neck.

“Tarou!”

“Fine,” Penance said slowly.  His grip loosened on Leo, blade slipping a bit as he relaxed.  “Come over slowly. I won’t hurt your little pet if you don’t try anything.”

“Tarou, don’t do it,” Leo coughed.  Tarou paid him no mind, walking slowly toward the pair.  Hitch tried to run their way, but was tackled by a monster.  The others looked panicked, but were too involved with monsters of their own and guarding each other.  “Stop it Tarou!”

“Shut up little puppy, I wouldn’t want this blade to hurt you,” Penance said mockingly.  Tarou had stopped and he nodded for Tarou to continue. He didn’t notice the slight movement of Tarou’s mouth as she chanted an incantation.  “Hurry up!”

“Whatever you say,” Tarou said.  Porter’s yelling sounded like quiet whispers in her ears.  Tarou darted forward, too fast for anyone to react, ripping Leo away and throwing him toward the others.  The monsters had dissipated and weren’t spawning, allowing the other members of the part to catch him, but not to rush to help her.

“Stop her,” Porter yelled, “She’s going to seize!”

The offending player reacted far faster than anyone would have expected, positioning his blade toward Tarou’s open right side, piercing her just as she managed to land a blow to his shoulder.  The two tumbled backwards, the man making a sound similar to a wailing cry. Tarou fell limp against him, her avatar flickering. She didn’t move.

“Dr. Maxim!  She’s having a heart attack!  Get Makoto out of the room now!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	42. Chapter 15

_ “Forget what hurt you in the past.  But never forget what it taught you.” _

_ -Unknown _

* * *

 

**_September 7th_ **

**_The town of Grounder_ **

**_Town Square, Leo’s Weapons store front_ **

 

“Look at this Masa!  Look at this,” Rin said quietly, the excitement sounding odd in her usually calm voice.  She held up a new type of blade. “It’s a Tarou Blade! I had heard that Tarou had created a blade, but they don’t have them on the UK’s server!  It looks so cool!”

“Yeah, it has changeable strength requirements so the weight isn’t all that important when considering getting a new blade.  And the shape makes it easy to activate and unlock sword skills. Tarou made it with really good, but affordable, metal and then sent the directions to all of the blacksmiths on the US server, but the head guilds on other servers didn’t want some foreigner to become more of a leader on their servers, so they refused the release of the Tarou blade.”  Masa watched as Rin swung the sword around, testing it. Rin’s face lit up.

“It changed its weight!  It’s just... right now!” Masa smiled at her and nodded.  “Have you tried one, Masa?”

“I own the original, so yeah.”

“I thought Tarou would have had that one,” Rin said, placing the sword on the counter and paying the smith for it.  “Why doesn’t she?”

“Tarou has had the same blades and weapons since the end of Day Zero.  She refuses to buy any other weapon because she believes they should be used by the players who could actually make a difference out in the field.  I told her that she made a difference out there too, with her leading a lot of the alliance’s raids, but she shook her head and ended the conversation there,” Masa said smiling.

“I think we’re all done here,” William said, throwing his hands into the air and folding them behind his head as the rest of the group gathered around them.  Fang pulled up the clock from his settings.

“It’s been just a little over an hour since we left, so Tarou and that group should still be fighting.  Hey Masa, want to go help them out? Do you know how to use Tarou’s transportation trick without a portal?”  Masa shook his head.

“I think a hunt would be a good idea, but Tarou kept that little trick a secret,” Masa said with a frown.  “But, Tarou did set up a portal a little further into town from this shop. We can take that if you guys want.”

“Let’s do it!  It’s a monster hunt, right?  I don’t do MG raids,” Korey said, toying with a strand of her hair.  Will nodded along.

“They said it was a monster hunt, let’s get going!”

* * *

 

She was gone.  Her avatar was gone.  It disappeared into thin air.

“Tarou!”  Leo fought against the arms that held him back, kicking and scratching in an attempt to go to the place where she had been, ignoring the grunts from Hitch and Collin after each blow.  Karla screamed out, collapsing into her brother who had froMasa in his shock. Ryuu fell to his knees, Kei bending down to check on him. Tohma, Saki, and Nanami rushed toward the player who still had Tarou’s dagger sticking out of his shoulder, holding him down when he tried to crawl away.  “Tarou!”

“Turn off the damn link, Sam!  They don’t need to hear this,” Porter shouted at the other end of the link.  His voice wasn’t the only one that could be heard. Both Hitch and Leo, who had met him over a link before, recognised Makoto’s frantic voice screaming for his sister.  The monotone straight line beep of the heart monitor was just as loud in their ears. Then, the link went dead.

“Tarou!  Tarou! Tarou, quite playing around,” Leo cried hysterically.  A portal opened not far behind them, allowing the group that had been in town through and into the treeline.  Masa looked around.

“Where is she?  Is she trying to freak you out,” Masa asked, looking around at everyone.  He went pale. “Where is she?”

“I did it,” the man on the ground howled before laughing.  “I did it! Guildmaster will be mad I didn’t bring her back to him, but then she’ll be so proud of me!  I just know it! Maybe she’ll still let me be her right hand!”

“Where is she,” Masa whispered, falling to his knees when he realized that the expression on Hitch’s face wasn’t his default calm, but was wrought with despair.  “Where… is… my sister?”

“I killed the-”

“Shut up!”  Ryuu looked furious, even with the tears running down his face and the glint of fear in his eyes.  “Shut up! Tarou’s not dead! She can’t be! She would never let some dirty player killer take her down!  Never!”

“I have to get to her apartment,” Hitch mumbled, losing his grip on Leo and letting him fall forward.  “I promised her. I promised her that I would… that I would launch it.” His voice gave nothing away, but his face was dark.  “I… I have to kill him before that, though!” Hitch fell, tripping over Leo who had curled up at his feet after falling forward when he was let go.  Collin pinned him to the ground to stop him from going forward. “Let me go! He killed Tarou!”

“Shut up!” Masa had long since crumbled, sitting curled up on the ground, but William’s quivering voice seemed to capture his attention.  “Tarou had a no kill policy from what she told me when she visited. Do you honestly think she would want you to kill him? And you of all people, the person she chose to confide in, would actually suggest such a thing?”

“You shut up!  You didn’t know how much she was suffering!  She was in so much main, and all for you! She put up with it because she wanted to get everyone out, and that especially went for her family!  Do you know how distraught she was when she found out that her family, the people that she has protected with everything she had, were stuck in this death game too?  Do you know how hard it got for her when she figured out how the headset worked or how it was able to end a life?” Hitch looked totally enraged.

“Masa,” Leo sniffed, stifling another oncoming sob.

“Y-yeah?”  The innocent tones, sounding completely broken silenced everyone else in the area, including the player who still had Tarou’s dagger sticking out of the ground.

“I… I loved Tarou.  She wasn’t just my best friend.  I loved her so much! I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her, and I don’t expect you to forgive me for this or answer my next request.”  Masa didn’t respond, but he did nod, a small movement almost impossible to notice. “What was Tarou’s real name? I know that isn’t something that I should ask, but I need to know.  I just-”

“Her name was and still is Tarou,” Ryuu said, staring at the ground, eyes wide with terror.  “She told you, right? She told me she did, but she said you didn’t believe her. Tarou was a liar, Leo, but she would never lie to someone like you… someone she loved.”

“Oh my God,” Leo said, mortified before his sobs began anew.

“That’s priceless,” Penance cackled.  “Love? What a joke! She was a worthless woman and a worthless player!  I bet she didn’t know that most of the players of deteriorating! I bet she was taking her sweet old time trying to get us all out while she was out destroying the guilds like mine!  There are far better players to do that for us!”

“Stop it!  Just stop it,” Hitch growled, but looked surprised when he realized he wasn’t the only one who had said it.  Kei stood up, eyes blazing, voice cold as steel. “You! She died because she wouldn’t kill you! She died because she wanted to get every single player out!  Even the ones who killed others, who killed people she loved! So shut up! You didn’t know my cousin!”

“Hitch,” Masa called out, “You said you made a promise to my sister.  What was it?”

“She made a way out for us, Masa, but there was too much risk to take a chance on activating it unless it was our last chance out.  She made me promise that if she died or was going to die soon, she wanted me to go to her apartment and find a gift box. It contained the code that she believed could get us out and a list of all of the MGs, their members, and detailed records of all of the events she experienced within the game.”

“She knew she was going to die,” Masa said quietly.

“She told us so many times,” Karla said back, still crying into her brother’s chest.  “Why did she-”

“Leo.  She died for Leo,” Saki whispered in horror before turning her gaze on him.  “She would still be here if you hadn’t been so stupid! She didn’t have to die, but she was in such a panic over some stupid ‘prodigy’ of hers that she couldn’t fight right!  You killed her!”

“She might not be dead,” Fang said quietly.  His words were overshadowed by the tears coming from his eyes.  “She’s Tarou, right? She’s probably back in the real world already nagging Makoto about something stupid.  I mean, Tarou’s the head of the family. She would never leave us behind.” His words edged on hysterical. Karla fell to the ground as her brother finally caught up to reality, flinging his arms up to cover his mouth as he cried out into the now still air.

“She’s Tarou,” Masa said firmly, although his face contained fearful uncertainty.  “Hitch, you made my sister a promise, and I want you to follow through with it, but please wait a few days.  I want to meet with my family in here before we go back into the real world. It’s selfish, but I know Tarou would have done the same.”

“What are we going to do with him,” Tohma asked, sending a brutal sneer to the man beneath him.  “I’m sorry, but I can’t let him go after what he’s done. He deserves to suffer after what he did.”

“Tohma, I won’t let you kill him,” Masa said, “But I won’t let him go after what he’s done either.  Tarou wouldn’t approve. We’ll put him in Shade Tower with the other members of MGs that we’ve captured.”

“But-”

“Tohma,” Ryuu said quietly, and the other boy became silent.  “Masa, I want to go home again. I want to go home and see Tarou again.”  He sounded devastated, and Kei had to catch him as he fell forward, eyes rolled back.

“I do too, Ryuu.  I do too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos, subscribe, bookmark, and comment!


	43. Final Author's Note

I finished this book a while ago and just decided to post it. I wrote it as a project for a creative writing course because I wanted to write my own isekai novel with all of the features that I missed and liked in the published isekai works.  I do not plan to leave this novel as it is; I will be posting an edited version in the near future.  I do plan on posting the edited version before the other two novels in the trilogy come out.  Please feel free to make suggestions, re-read this work, etc. in the mean time.

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally written as part of a larger work before it was split into 3 separate books. "The Shadow Keeper" acts as an introductory novel, followed by "The Shadow's Light" and "The Shadow's Return" which involve more in depth exploration of relationships between characters. I will be posting the other two books in the near future; they must be read in order. Please feel free to comment.
> 
> Also, please note that this book starts off with several emails and articles but does also include actual chapters with continuous plot. Please do not be put off by the set up in the beginning. There are also several emails that add to the story throughout the entire novel to add context and depth. (Please do not try to use any of the emails; they are all made up.)


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